How are you feeling about your job search?
Judy is feeling excited and enthusiastic about finding a new job. Nilesh is less positive – the words he used were scary and depressing. He said that if he was honest, he would rather go to the dentist than start applying for jobs.
Judy is far more likely to have a positive experience. She knows that the worst that can happen when she sends off her CV is to hear nothing, but she will focus much more on active job search. She knows that being focused on a specific goal will put her well ahead of the competition. Judy is positive and is ready to make direct approaches to organizations and people.
Be committed. Take a half-hearted approach and you won’t get anywhere. You need to be committed to your success.
Get mentally ready
Get those endorphins released. Stand up and close your eyes. Imagine anything that makes you happy, such as success in your job hunt. Then imagine you are successful and enjoying the success. Do this every day.
We must be realistic on how long our job search will take. In a good economy it can take about three months. In an economic downturn it can take twice as long, but it depends on the type of job you seek –there are many more entry- and junior-level positions than senior posts.
If you have you been unemployed for a long time, you may already be feeling low and wondering if you will ever get a job. Chapter 16, ‘Staying Motivated’, will be helpful but for now it might be good to take your CV off any job boards till you have gone through this book and can then start again re-energized.
Your locus of control can affect motivation. Some people have an internal locus of control: they consider that they are in control of any decisions they make, rather than being influenced by others. These people know that success in a career is down to them and the actions they take. Other people have an external locus of control: they feel that decisions and results are outside of their control – they think that ‘what will be will be’ and that no matter what they do, it won’t affect the outcome.
If you have an external locus of control, spending more time with positive people who believe they will succeed can be helpful – it will help you learn how to take more responsibility for what happens.
Denise Taylor is a double award winning career coach and Chartered Psychologist with Amazing People, established in 1998. When you are unsure of your career future, need help with job search or seek to improve your presence in an online world, Denise can help. Denise is the author of 7 books including How To Get A Job In A Recession, Now You’ve Been Shortlisted and Fat to Fantastic
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