08/01/2020
Previous | Next | Career Corner Home | Health | Issues | Personal Finance
I've lost count of how many Career Coaching clients I've worked with who lost their confidence during a job search. It's understandable. When you have been seeking a job for months (and sometimes even years), you're likely to become a victim of self-doubt. And that can be paralyzing.
But the cold hard truth of it is that unless you get confidence back, you won't be landing a job soon.
Here's the key: When you know what you want out of a career and realize what value sets you apart in the market, you will inherently gain confidence, and from there, success.
But how do you realize that value? A peer of mine, Jane Atkinson, introduced me to what she calls the "Stop! Drop! & Roll!" method. Most of us associate Stop! Drop! And Roll! with fire safety lessons we learned in school. But Jane has evolved it to reflect being an expert speaker. I have built upon it from the perspective of being a job seeker, customizing it about job searching specifically.
So without further adieu, here's my Stop! Drop! And Roll! approach to the job search:
STOP! GETTING DISTRACTED
Distraction is always a slippery slope, taking you away from your true purpose. But if things are moving slower than you expected, it's easy to get distracted and not put all of your effort into your true objective. Your concern should be identifying your job search goals, and from there, taking tangible steps to achieve them. If you're focusing anywhere else, chances are you're distracted.
DROP! THE EXCUSES
During a job search, we often get obsessed with the "perfect" situation. We want the perfect resume, networking approach, interview techniques, and ultimately upon a job offer, the perfect salary and location. If one of these things isn't exactly the way a job seeker envisioned it, it becomes their excuse as to why they didn't get the job or bailed on it. In truth, the reason we often struggle is that we don't really want to put in the work and hours necessary. We get angry at the situation and fail to put a real plan together because we're so fed up with it all - and that frustration becomes an excuse. I say embrace the journey and allow yourself to learn from this experience. Keep yourself accountable by creating rules and time structures for when you network, apply for jobs, etc. Don't let yourself do ANYTHING ELSE during that time. The job search is now your full-time job.
ROLL! OUT CONFIDENCE
Once you have rid your career search of distractions and excuses and have developed a real plan, confidence will start coming naturally. It will seep into how you talk about yourself and articulate your unique value. I'm not talking about arrogance. I'm talking about a positive self-esteem, knowing that even if you don't have a job yet, you're going to land on your feet and deliver. When you start feeling this confidence come, don't ignore it. Just Stop! Drop! and Roll!
Source: Ezinearticles.com.
David Hults is the CEO of Activ8 Careers, a Career Coach, Author and Speaker. For more career tips, check out his blog at https://www.activ8careers.com/career-str8-talk/ and website https://www.activ8careers.com.
© 2020 David HultsThe views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of College Central Network, Inc. or its affiliates. Reference to any company, organization, product, or service does not constitute endorsement by College Central Network, Inc., its affiliates or associated companies. The information provided is not intended to replace the advice or guidance of your legal, financial, or medical professional.