Careers: Visualization

Maybe unemployment isn't so bad after all. What if all you needed to do to get a new job was simply think about it really hard? Gini Graham Scott, author of the new book “Want It, See it, Get It! Visualize Your Way to Success” says it may just be that easy. Metro spoke with Scott about her book.

So how does this work?
Basically you visualize very clearly what you want – something realistic. Then you visualize the various steps you need to get it. It's a series of techniques about how to visualize, how to plan ahead...To basically work out the plan through your powers of visualization.

Is it hard to learn how to do?
Many people have the ability to visualize. It's something that can developed. As you work on it you can develop the skill more. An alternative might be to talk to yourself, using self talk.

How is visualization different than just saying “this is what I'm going to do?”
It's a way of seeing more clearly. Some people are more analytical. This is an alternate way of imagining different scenarios. It's like being a movie director and you see a scene playing out in front of you visualizing different alternatives. It's a way of playing out in advance things you would like to see happen. Athletes use some of these skills.

So in the same way a baseball player visualizes hitting the ball, people can visualizes a successful interview?
Exactly. Imagine yourself going to that interview. What are you going to say? It's a way of more intensely pre-experiencing what's going to happen. Create different scenarios for how the interview might go. It might not go exactly that way, but you apply what you've learned so you might have different answers prepared. I've used it all my life.

New York Metro