Goodbye February (winter)! Hello March (spring)! March is truly one of my favorite months, because we can begin to see winter in the “rearview mirror”.

March is typically one of the slower months in the jewelry business. But it can be a good time to assess where you are in your career. Are you doing what you want to do and with whom you want to do it? Feel like you’re growing in skills and experience? Satisfied with your work/life balance? Happy with your pay and benefits?

How about starting a dialog with me about what you really want? I can keep an eye out for you on positions of interest. It might take a week, a month, a year, or more…but that job you dream about is out there. Hard to find it on your own. Let me help.

Things to Ponder…..

• Arrange a visit to a museum. When there, take your time and commit to absorbing all the information that they have to offer. After your visit, recount at least five things that you learned.

• Get up to watch the sunrise. Enjoy the still of the earth, the quiet of the land and the magnitude of the sun’s unwavering strength. This immense natural act that occurs every day may inspire you to notice the endless possibilities for new beginnings and the transience of harder times.

• Learn that new skill. Whatever it is that you’ve always had your eye on – a language, an instrument, a dance – today is the day to make the first move. Enquire about lessons or look up video tutorials to get you started.

Aced the interview but didn’t get the job? This may be why

By Adunola Adeshola

It’s the most frustrating thing. You’ve already started drafting your resignation letter in your head after what seemed like the third amazing interview with the company of your dreams. You’ve already planned your goodbye speech to your colleagues because you’re sure you’re going to land the job. But then, to your surprise, you find out that the company decided to move forward with another candidate and you’re left confused and back to square one, even though you were certain they loved you.
The truth is, they probably did love speaking to you and getting to know you, but here’s why they probably decided to hire someone else:

You were a culture fit but not a role fit.
During the interviews, you could have blown them away with the way you aligned with their mission and values. They could have made facial expressions to imply they were impressed with your responses. They could have even laughed at your jokes and loved your personality.
But ultimately, they might have decided to go with someone else because they weren’t quite sure if you could fulfill the needs of the specific role they were hiring for at the time. You might have focused too much on the company and not enough on how your experience aligns with the role. This could’ve been the case for you if they suggested you would be a better fit for another role entirely or if they shared that they genuinely would like to stay connected with you and will keep you in mind for other opportunities.

They weren’t sure if it would be a long-term fit for you.
This might not seem critical, especially at a time when layoffs have become the norm, but long-term fit is still an important aspect to some organizations when determining whether or not they should hire someone. This is because hiring costs time and money, and the wrong hire could have a negative impact on the company and team.
While you may have had several interviews that seemingly went well, they could have chosen to go with someone else because they were uncertain if you truly wanted to work at their company. Sure, you might have liked the role and knew you would do a good job in the position, but if you left them wondering if you actually care about their products and services or the goals they’re working towards, then that could have been a red flag that made them lean in different direction.

You didn’t show how you would solve their specific problems.
If you’re someone with an impeccable background who has delivered unquestionable results in your various roles, then there’s no doubt that any company would be impressed with your track record. During interviews, you might even hear comments about how pleased they are with your resume and what you’ve done thus far. But unfortunately, compliments don’t always lead to job offers.
So, although you might have been one of their top candidates because of your background, if you didn’t point out the specific skills, results, and accomplishments that prove you could solve their challenges, then they could have moved forward with the candidate who was crystal clear on the specific ways their experience would be valuable to the company.
Now that you know where you might have mis-stepped, it could be tempting to beat yourself up about it. But, don’t. The fact that you’ve landed interviews is proof that you can land the job, and by elevating how communicate the skills you bring to the table, you’ll improve your chances of securing the job offer you desire and deserve.

Adunola Adeshola coaches corporate high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level. She is the author of the guide How to Go From Zero Interviews to Dream Job Offers.