Navigating the Ups and Downs of Your Career Search

Whether an individual’s job search is active or passive, there are three things that will help them through the up’s and down’s of their search.

ATTITUDE— Your attitude is reflected in everything you do. During a job search it is easy to become discouraged, cynical and down on yourself. When this happens it comes through in telephone interviews and face-to-face meetings with prospective employers. Allowing your attitude to become negative can also lead to failure to follow through on your objectives and plunge you into a state of inertia.

To develop or maintain a “positive” attitude:

• Don’t engage in “pity parties” with other people. If you are talking with someone in your same situation, be an encourager.
  
  
• Remind yourself of the special expertise you have and your accomplishments.
  
  
• Remember that job search is largely a numbers game and don’t take rejections personally. Remind yourself that every “no” just leads you closer to the inevitable “yes”.
  
  

CONSISTENCY— Someone once noted that even a rat could drown a city if it gnawed at a wooden dyke long enough. The key to success in job search (or any undertaking) is a matter of continually doing the thing that is necessary to achieve your objective. An executive once observed that “successful people consistently do the things unsuccessful people are unwilling to do”.

To be consistent means we have a plan and we stick with it. One of the problems with job search is that people fall into the trap of treating it like a hobby. Job search is a full-time job. Here are some things that will help you be consistent in your job search:

• Have Weekly Goals to send out so many resumes per week, make a certain number of calls to companies, increase your network of people, etc.
  
  
• Remember there are only two kinds of time: Productive and Non-Productive. Make sure you make the most of your productive time (productive time is the time when you can actually contact a hiring authority, go for an interview or make cold calls to get the names of hiring authorities. Non-Productive is when the people are unavailable that you need to contact.). Use non-productive time for research, letter writing, preparing mailings, planning and updating your records.
  
  
• Have a list of things to accomplish, prioritize it and then follow it. For example, develop lists of employers to contact, interview follow-up calls, networking activities, activities (such as internet searches, discussions with your Job Search Specialists, etc.).
  

EXCELLENCE— Strive for excellence in everything you do. If you write a follow-up letter take time to think it through and make it the best letter you can. If you go on an interview do your best to make it the best interview you’ve ever had. Review your progress in all areas of your job search and continually seek to improve.

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