We typically praise the person who is the last to leave the office and who works during weekends and holidays. Often, however, that person is the first to fall in the war of workplace attrition.

Leadership demands long hours and great effort, but taking care of ourselves is just as essential as hard work. Go-getters often feel that every minute of every day must be filled with work, but that is just not a healthy way to live. Because more does not always mean better, a leader must learn to draw a hard line in the sand when asked to take on boundless responsibilities. Learning to say “no” is a matter of self-preservation.

In this podcast I will be sharing 3 things you can do now to lead to a career path that is a good fit for you.

Whether you’re embarking on your first career out of school or looking to make a career change, the first step is to think carefully about what really drives you.

You might find it hard to get past thinking about “what pays the most” or “what is most secure,” especially in today’s economy. But the truth is most employees rank job satisfaction above salary in ensuring they feel happy at work.

So, unless you’re in a situation where you have to take the first available job to make ends meet, it’s important to focus on your primary interests and passions. This can open doors to careers that you might not have considered.

Once you have that foundation, you can start fine tuning your search for the right career. You may be surprised at how you can fit your passions into a new career.

Networking should be one of the cornerstones of your job search, but sometimes job seekers get bogged down with churning out online applications. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, networking may sound like shopping one’s resume around to various professionals and asking them for a job. In reality, networking is often a process of several one-on-one conversations with a wide range of people, both within and outside your industry, about your professional interests and employment history. Each of those connections can provide next steps and more names of people worth contacting.

Real life examples: client’s situation with a hiring manager that didn’t lead to an offer, client that reached out to a Professor at GT, connecting with college alumni, clients mom and cousin, former college friend, Talking to the person in the queue at graduation (G’s second cousin), me at Church, make it a habit to ask for 3 more introductions at every networking meeting

If your job search seems stuck in a rut, it may be time to shake up your networking. Here are some practical ways to move beyond the endless business card swaps to make better use of your current contacts and cultivate useful new ones:

The more people you meet, the more likely you’ll encounter someone who can offer you an opportunity or pass your name on to someone else. Make a point of communicating your job search goals to virtually everyone you interact with: your hair stylist, the dog groomer, your next-door neighbor. Reach out to those old high school friends who found you on Facebook. Probe your common interests, and you might be surprised how many contacts turn up in your industry.

Everyone wants to help a volunteer, right? Offer to help with events, committees or projects that can put you side-by-side with new faces in a fresh context. Volunteering gives you a common purpose that helps open up conversations.

Don’t be afraid to approach a big shot. Scott Ginsberg, author of The Power of Approachability, urges people not to be intimidated by leaders they admire. Send an appreciative email to an expert or speaker, and you may be surprised when they follow up.

Even your dog can help. People really open up around their pets. Visit dog parks and talk to other owners. Some bars and restaurants even have “yappy hour” events with treats for Fido and drink specials for you.

It’s tough to stand at traditional networking events, so get creative. If you’re a man, try going to a women’s networking group. If you’re an executive assistant, try attending some executive-level mixers. When you’re the odd duck in the room, you’re a walking conversation starter.

It’s great to attend networking events, but it’s even better to be the speaker at one. Put together a presentation on a niche topic that’s in your wheelhouse and offer it to groups that may be interested. Be sure to include tips and examples from your own business experiences—and be entertaining! Networking groups and professional associations are always clamoring for speakers; consider service clubs like Rotary and your local chamber of commerce, too. You’ll expand your network, build your resume and raise your visibility, all at the same time.

You can also take the lead and make yourself the hub of a network. Arrange a lunch for a small group of people you’ve met at recent networking events, or introduce your various networks to one another.

if there is a company you’re highly interested in working for that’s not hiring right now, reach out directly and set up an informational interview. That way, when a position opens up, they’re more likely to remember who you are and know for certain you’re genuinely interested in becoming a part of their team.

Blogging is a great way to not only grow your network and show off your expertise while helping others, but also to attract job offers.

A great place to network with people across different industries and positions, there are also many other reasons job seekers should exercise regularly.

Fill those needs whenever you can. The more you give, the more you’ll get.

Whether to confirm a referral or send over a link to an article you discussed, find a good reason to follow up with new contacts before they forget about you, which is usually within 24-48 hours.

Networking is about collecting information and getting the names of new people to talk to, not asking someone for a job. By talking to enough people and collecting enough information, you will hear of career opportunities and how to pursue them.

Networking works when you form mutually-beneficial relationships; you and your contact need to have something to offer each other, either now or in future. You have to feel comfortable with each other and shouldn’t feel that you are asking your contacts for favours or are in some way indebted to them.

Your initial approach should be done in a way that doesn’t embarrass you or make you feel awkward. Some people are happier initiating contact by phone, others by email or even letter. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, so use whichever one you are most comfortable with.

Your initial approach to a potential networking contact should reflect this. A good opening approach to a networking contact could go something like this: Adapt it to suit the objectives you have set for each contact and your particular circumstances:

“I was given your name by XX who thought you might be able to give me some advice/ we might have some interests in common.

“One area I’m looking at is the [industry/ company]. I am trying to find out about [your objectives] and wondered if you would you be kind enough to spare 20 minutes or so to allow me to ask you a few questions about this? My background is in […] and we may well be able to share information.”

Of course you want to adapt it to suit the objectives you have set for each contact and your particular circumstances.

Some people you approach will be quite willing to meet, others may prove more difficult. If you encounter resistance, try to explain – without being too pushy – that you just want to have a chat and that you are not asking them to put themselves in a difficult position. If you still can’t get a meeting, don’t take it personally, just move on to your next contact.

Be sure to have an agenda. Once you have your meeting arranged you need to structure the conversation to achieve your objectives. Be clear about what you want to get from the meeting and prepare your questions in advance. Start the meeting by introducing yourself and your career background concisely. Briefly outline your experience to date and your goals, and then move onto your information-gathering questions. These might include:

Give the other person time to think about their answers but try to keep the conversation going. Take notes; it shows that you value their answers and are taking the information they give you seriously.

Make sure, as the meeting draws to a close, that you ask if they can give you the names of a couple of other people you should be talking to. Could they introduce you? If not, could you mention the fact that they gave you their name? Always aim to leave a networking meeting with two new contacts to approach; it’s the best way to expand your network.

Don’t expect too much from the first meeting with a new contact. Networking doesn’t always produce immediate results, it’s a cumulative process; the more you engage with someone, the more you learn. Aim to build a warm relationship, one that will allow you to keep in contact with the person and to follow up from time-to-time.

Unless you’re the luckiest job seeker in the world and find a perfect match first time, rejection is going to happen and often many times. You must treat each experience as a learning exercise. One contact I know sent a great email thanking the interviewers for the opportunity and learning experience after he was rejected for a position. It turned out they had made a mistake and the head of talent called him back for an interview. The gracious response added yet another positive element to his application and even called his accidental rejection to the attention of the head of talent. Positions close and re-open all the time, building lasting bridges is essential.

It’s not uncommon to submit a resume to an online application system and hear absolutely nothing back – not even a confirmation that your info was received. Even if you get past this stage and actually speak to a person, you may end up ghosted at any point with no explanation as to why.

Yes, these practices are rude and disrespectful to job candidates, but they are also extremely common. Don’t take it personally. Recognize that silence is expected. In most cases, you will only hear from prospective employers when you’re in the running for a role. If they’re not interested, they most likely won’t bother communicating that. Don’t hold your breath waiting for more information.

For many, the mysteries involved with job search are incredibly difficult to handle. It’s rare that you ever really know why some decisions are made. Few organizations provide feedback to rejected candidates for fear of accidentally stepping into murky legal waters. Once again, silence is the most common form of feedback, which leaves much to the imagination.

Many job seekers try to make sense of the situation by fabricating scenarios to explain why they didn’t get the job or why they didn’t even get invited to an interview. Unfortunately, such exercises are totally futile.

You might look at a job posting and think you’re perfect for the role, but you have no idea what other factors are in play – and you probably never will. Maybe they had an internal employee already in mind for the job. Or maybe the budget got cut and the job was eliminated. Or maybe they saw a gaping hole in your skill set or just didn’t like the font you used on your resume. Maybe they hired a bad employee from your alma mater in the past so you were immediately blacklisted.

If you try to guess what happened, you’ll drive yourself crazy!

The only course of action is to continue on. Don’t waste time with speculation. In most cases, it’s out of your hands anyway. You couldn’t have done anything to get a different result.

Finding a perfect fit for your career objectives and skills takes time. You probably neglected relaxation during your executive position, so now is the time to develop relaxation techniques and plan activities to ensure you are on top mental and physical form for your job search.

Gains small or large are one step closer to landing a job. Appreciate your achievements and you will capitalize on each step forward that much more.