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3 ways to keep your glass half full
Let's face it. The day in and day out of job searching isn't always fun. Add to the mix the present employment market with a fewer number of opportunities and a greater number of qualified candidates, and the resulting reality is rough for many today.
I interact with clients daily. Some email or call to tell me of interviews or job offers, while others talk of their frustration. Days turns into weeks, weeks turn into months, and you hit a point when it may seem things will never turn around. You are not alone. What suggestions do I offer clients? First, never forget your attitude is key to the health and success of your search. With that in mind, here are three ways to keep believing your glass is half full:
- Recharge, regroup, reenergize. As with any intense schedule, you need breaks and downtime to maintain optimum efficiency. Ideally, allocate time for exercise into your schedule daily - a walk around the block, some time on the tread mill. The time spent away from your job search will refresh your body, mind, and spirit.
- Find a job search buddy. You should not have to go through this alone. Find someone to listen. Everyone's preference is different. You may want to bounce ideas off of someone; you may want someone to listen to you vent; or you may be looking for someone to give you a push. Who's the right person to do this? That can also different for many people. It may be confiding in a loved one - a spouse or parent. It may be joining a local or virtual job search group to find someone with shared experiences. It may be a good friend who knows you well, or it may be enlisting the help of a job search coach or therapist. The right answer is different for everyone, but be sure you have someone who will listen to you. You need a sounding board to verbalize your frustrations and concerns. Keeping that type of emotion bottled up is not healthy long-term.
- It's all about numbers. Remember your successes - and put them into perspective. Job searching is a numbers game. Your luck may turn around at any moment with the next phone call, email, or interview. When a job search gets us down, it's easy to start feeling overwhelmed and begin thinking things will "never go our way." One of the best ways to get out of this rut is to break your search down into smaller, more manageable pieces and get back to basics. Earlier this week, Tim Tyrell-Smith blogged about a great strategy to start your week off on the right foot. He walks through a process of writing down all the possible items (as specific as possible) you could be doing in your job search this week and then selecting those items that you will actually do this week as a combination of big and small items. It's all about taking baby steps, feeling like you're making progress, and appreciating your successes, large and small. Give Tim's strategy a try next week and see for yourself.
Read more advice on overcoming the negative aspects of job search from my esteemed colleagues in the Career Collective:
@MartinBuckland, Job Search Made Positive
@GayleHoward, Job Search: When It All Turns Sour
@chandlee, Strategy for Getting "Unstuck" and Feeling Better: Watch Lemonade
@heathermundell, Help for the Job Search Blues
@heatherhuhman, 10 Ways to Turn You Job Search Frown Upside-Down
@KCCareerCoach, You Can Beat the Job Search Blues: 5 + 3 Tips to Get Re-Energized
@WalterAkana, Light at the End of the Tunnel?
@resumeservice,Don’t Sweat the Job Search
@careersherpa, Mind Over Matter: Moving Your Stalled Search Forward
@WorkWithIllness, Finding Opportunity in Quicksand
@KatCareerGal, Job-Hunting in a Weak Job Market: 5 Strategies for Staying Upbeat (and Improving Your Chances of Success)
@ErinKennedyCPRW, Dancing in the Rain-Kicking the Job Search Blues
@keppie_careers, What do do when you are discouraged with your job search
@DawnBugni, It's the little things
@ValueIntoWords, Restoring Your Joy in Job Search
@JobHuntOrg, Just SO VERY Discouraged
@BarbaraSafani, Making Job Search Fun (Yeah, That’s Right!)
@GLHoffman, How to Overcome the Negativity of a Job Search
@expatcoachmegan, Dealing with Job Search Stress: Getting to the Source of the Problem
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February 28, 2010
uberVU - social comments wrote:
This post was mentioned on Twitter by Keppie_Careers: 3 Ways to Keep Your Glass Half Full, by @LaurieBerenson, http://short.to/18upt #careercollective
Laurie,
Very useful and insightful advice, I especially like the "buddy system"--works from everything from Weight Watchers to job seeking and pool safety!
All the Best,
Chandlee
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Wonderful suggestions! I think the buddy system is one of the most effective, too. A solitary job search can be very discouraging. Just be adding another person, a network doubles in size!
A buddy or a job search support group can help job seekers conduct more effective job searches - find those typos in that resume, have a contact at that target employer, etc.
Excellent!
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How true Laurie. Attitude certainly is key. Your mantra brings to mind a quote I recently heard, "It really is simple but that doesn't mean it's easy." Lots of good advice here.
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So true Laurie, attitude is everything. While depression and the sheer misery that comes from endless financial concerns is personally debilitating, it is also professionally debilitating. Attitude surrounds people and either attracts or repels others. A person walking around with a chip on his or her shoulder, bitterness, and an aggressive stance against recruiters and employers is unlikely to surround himself with people who are keen to help. Even if a person has to fake feelings of positivity to get himself through an interview, or a phone call, that brief sojourn into the land of the positive can work wonders...not only for his employment prospects but for his own ability to get away from the current worries (even if only for a moment).
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I adore this line: "Bad dreams, bad dreams, go away. Good dreams, good dreams, come this way."
Thanks for a post that makes VERY good sense on many levels - practical (find a buddy, break your search into manageable pieces), and encouraging (job seekers should take care of themselves by reenergizing and recharging).
Nice!
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Hi Laurie! Love the idea of strategies for keeping your glass half full! In fact, the energizing strategies you list are ones that can truly help keep one positive. As well, finding time to help others is another good one. Studies have shown that supporting others is a great way to bolster one’s own happiness!
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Thanks for a post that makes VERY good sense on many levels - practical (find a buddy, break your search into manageable pieces), and encouraging (job seekers should take care of themselves by reenergizing and recharging).
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