Brain Training
I have been working with a particular client for three months now. We are still looking for a job for him. He is professional, has solid experience, a MBA and is currently employed. You would think we could find him a job fairly quickly. We have conducted letter campaigns to company directors and executives, email campaigns, cold call campaigns to local companies, over 250 submissions to job postings on the various job boards, and much more with no job offer yet. He has spoken with a couple of recruiters who wanted their clients to consider him but lost the slot to other qualified people.
He has been on two interviews for jobs he is qualified for. One company decided to go with someone else. We are waiting on the second company to make a decision. The interview was about 5 weeks ago and we have followed up with the hiring manager and he promises that no decision has been made. He says they are trying to decide on my client or one of two folks from the inside. Is he telling us the truth or just cannot give us a response? We will see but for now it is a waiting game.
So where do we go from here? Are you or someone you know in the same situation? This is where many job seekers eventually find themselves. I call it the "Impatient Stage". This is where bad decisions and frustration takes their toll on you. This is the time when you want to take a vacation from searching and get back to it later. You want to not have to think and worry about it for a while. Some people may even start thinking that their current job is not that bad or that they should go back to school or relocate somewhere else. These are wrong thoughts that permeate your brain. They are thoughts with a genesis of negativity and fear.
This is where most people stop. They tell themselves it will be just for a short time and they will get back into it. DON'T STOP; not even for a second. Maybe this is where you have gotten to in the past and stopped. Don't do it again. Don't let these thoughts dictate your life for you. It is time to train your brain.
When you start feeling this way, why don't you try something new. Try doing the opposite. Decide to ignore your fears and step up your search efforts even stronger. You may think I am crazy. Maybe I am, but I believe in most cases this is where you are just on the edge of success. This is where the old phrase: "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" works well.
"But it hurts so much," you say. Yes it does, it hurts bad. There is another famous saying that goes here: "No pain, no gain." I don't think that statement was said for physical activities alone. It is relevant for all activities including a job search. Job searching can be very painful but working through the pain and getting to the other side is well worth the effort. It is not until after you feel the pain can you really appreciate the gain.
This is where most people find reasons to go in a different direction. Don't let it happen to you. Don't do it this time. Try to embrace the pain and conduct the same activities you are doing but with more intensity, not less. This is also where you need to reassess the activities you are doing. Maybe you are not networking properly. Maybe your resume doesn't really sell you for the type of job you are looking for. Maybe you are looking for jobs that are way above you experience level. Whatever you decide, fix what you are doing and try something new. Try something that you have been putting off that you don't want to do. Call a friend or ask a neighbor you have known from the beginning you should. You know what to do. Now, go do it.
I know you can get through this tough phase. I know it because I have seen people do it over and over again. It just hurts for a short time. Think back on all the painful things in your life (not the ones you are in the middle of right now). Think about what you felt before, during and after they were over. They eventually ended and I will bet you learned a great lesson about yourself or others that has shaped you ever since. Find an example in your own past or ask someone you respect about their experiences. Hold onto these successes when you face your darkest moments in your job search.
See you on the other side. Let me know how it goes.
I had three cups of double expresso today. I guess that means I have had six expressos today. I probably should skip a day to get my system back to normal. They sure were good. Don't worry, four of the six were decaf. I have a great decaf coffee if anyone needs to stay away from the j-i-t-t-e-r-y stuff like I do but still want a great tasting coffee. Just let me know.
Let's Get Started!
Jeff
He has been on two interviews for jobs he is qualified for. One company decided to go with someone else. We are waiting on the second company to make a decision. The interview was about 5 weeks ago and we have followed up with the hiring manager and he promises that no decision has been made. He says they are trying to decide on my client or one of two folks from the inside. Is he telling us the truth or just cannot give us a response? We will see but for now it is a waiting game.
So where do we go from here? Are you or someone you know in the same situation? This is where many job seekers eventually find themselves. I call it the "Impatient Stage". This is where bad decisions and frustration takes their toll on you. This is the time when you want to take a vacation from searching and get back to it later. You want to not have to think and worry about it for a while. Some people may even start thinking that their current job is not that bad or that they should go back to school or relocate somewhere else. These are wrong thoughts that permeate your brain. They are thoughts with a genesis of negativity and fear.
This is where most people stop. They tell themselves it will be just for a short time and they will get back into it. DON'T STOP; not even for a second. Maybe this is where you have gotten to in the past and stopped. Don't do it again. Don't let these thoughts dictate your life for you. It is time to train your brain.
When you start feeling this way, why don't you try something new. Try doing the opposite. Decide to ignore your fears and step up your search efforts even stronger. You may think I am crazy. Maybe I am, but I believe in most cases this is where you are just on the edge of success. This is where the old phrase: "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" works well.
"But it hurts so much," you say. Yes it does, it hurts bad. There is another famous saying that goes here: "No pain, no gain." I don't think that statement was said for physical activities alone. It is relevant for all activities including a job search. Job searching can be very painful but working through the pain and getting to the other side is well worth the effort. It is not until after you feel the pain can you really appreciate the gain.
This is where most people find reasons to go in a different direction. Don't let it happen to you. Don't do it this time. Try to embrace the pain and conduct the same activities you are doing but with more intensity, not less. This is also where you need to reassess the activities you are doing. Maybe you are not networking properly. Maybe your resume doesn't really sell you for the type of job you are looking for. Maybe you are looking for jobs that are way above you experience level. Whatever you decide, fix what you are doing and try something new. Try something that you have been putting off that you don't want to do. Call a friend or ask a neighbor you have known from the beginning you should. You know what to do. Now, go do it.
I know you can get through this tough phase. I know it because I have seen people do it over and over again. It just hurts for a short time. Think back on all the painful things in your life (not the ones you are in the middle of right now). Think about what you felt before, during and after they were over. They eventually ended and I will bet you learned a great lesson about yourself or others that has shaped you ever since. Find an example in your own past or ask someone you respect about their experiences. Hold onto these successes when you face your darkest moments in your job search.
See you on the other side. Let me know how it goes.
I had three cups of double expresso today. I guess that means I have had six expressos today. I probably should skip a day to get my system back to normal. They sure were good. Don't worry, four of the six were decaf. I have a great decaf coffee if anyone needs to stay away from the j-i-t-t-e-r-y stuff like I do but still want a great tasting coffee. Just let me know.
Let's Get Started!
Jeff
posted by Jeff at
4:37 PM
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