Ep 24 | The Human REACH with AJ Mizes

INTRODUCTION TO EPISODE 24

Are you someone who is or will be seeking a job opportunity right now or in the next coming months? We are all in a wholly different world today, and the process of looking for jobs is not the same as it used to be before. How do you adapt to the changing times and find the next best step to landing your dream job? 

Join Mike Acker on this episode of the Advance Podcast as he interviews A. J. Mizes, a talent and human potential enthusiast with over a decade's worth of experience in career coaching and human resources. Listen in as he talks about overcoming self-limiting beliefs and the side-door job application method. He also talks about the changing patterns of his clients, differences in working professionals' emotional atmosphere, and how to make your way out through the changes and challenges of these times. 

EPISODE 24 SUMMARY & HIGHLIGHTS

What is a pattern that you're noticing with all the clients that you're working with, in today's economy? 

6:19

The growing influence of self-limiting beliefs. We create stories about what we think is possible for ourselves, for our family, for our friends, for our job, whatever it may be.   

One of the things that I'm working a lot with my private clients on is identifying when people are saying, 'Oh, I can't do that', or 'I wouldn't be qualified for this', or 'I shouldn't even go after that', because I don't have a college degree. 

Dig into that experience. And talk about the stories of what you've accomplished. And then look at the parallels between those experiences, those stories, and what you're looking to do. I guarantee you there's some synergy there.

Is there a lot of angst in the people you're talking to, or is there more excitement? What would you say is the emotional atmosphere of a lot of the people you're talking to?

9:49

I think, anxious and nervous. And typically, what leads to those feelings is feeling unprepared or feeling like you're not worthy or feeling like it's not for you, and so on. Your brain starts to engage that fight or flight response that we all have in us. And so we start to retract, or we start to go into a place of safety. 

Our brain is starting a response for us to avoid things that are going to kill us or unsafe. And so then we begin to recognize if it is something that is going to kill you or if it makes you uncomfortable.

What is the difference in the process of applying for jobs now versus a while ago? 

12:07

There is definitely an increase in the number of candidates in the job market right now. And so it's becoming increasingly difficult to stand out, there's no doubt about it. And the other thing is that you know, we're all interviewing now over the video, instead of getting flown on-site or driving to the interview and meeting everybody in person. Those two things really introduce a couple of things in terms of job search and the process and things that you have to overcome in terms of the job market and increase in candidates.

What are some of the biggest tips that you have for preparing for an interview?

18:20

Tip number one is a way to hypothesize the types of questions you're going to get. Typically, you get three types of questions during an interview. One is the Tell me about yourself question. That's typically like an opener during an interview, and you can practice how to answer that. It should really be about a bit of who you are, where you grew up, and what you'd like to do, but then telling the interviewer who you are. 

The second type of question that you get is, why are you looking for a new job? And so you have to be able to answer the question, significantly if you're changing industries, talking about how that's aligned, that new industry is aligned to your passion, that you see that yo