Career Management Alliance Blog

Looking for a new job isn’t easy. Keeping your spirits high while you’re doing so takes a tremendous amount of effort and energy. And some days, you may have to work extra hard to look, sound, and feel positive about anything, much less a job search.

Whether it’s going on the 15th interview, or making the 39th phone call, or writing the 23rd cover letter, or revamping your resume for the 18th time, it’s all a part of the process — one that requires an unwavering commitment to positive thoughts, actions, and deeds.

In a recent session with a client, he indicated that he was having a hard time staying up in what he perceives as a down market. So, what are some things that you can do to stay positive when you are feeling disillusioned and discouraged with your job search? Here are some things we thought of:

• Filter information that isn’t useful or helpful, such as “If I were you, I would (or wouldn’t)” sorts of messages that upset you or make you feel like a loser. Don’t buy-in to negative feedback such as “the economy is terrible and you better take whatever you can get.”
• Eliminate negative-sounding words/phrases such as “I would like to but; the problem is; I can’t ” by intentionally focusing on your word choice.
• Surround yourself with upbeat, positive-thinking people; maybe that means you’ll have to distance yourself from the negative ones.
• Write positive thoughts on sticky-notes; put them in places where you can see them and say them. If you can’t think of any positives, then write down your negative thoughts and see if you can turn them into positives. It’s worth a try.
• Laugh about something. Smile at somebody.
• Make a list of 25 things you like about yourself (or some good things others have told you about yourself).
• Develop a support group of raving fans — people who really like you, support you, and want to see you succeed. Stay in touch.
• Read. Whether it’s online or in a book, try to learn something new each day.
• Track your performance on a daily basis. Evaluate yourself at week’s end, identifying the positive steps you achieved with an eye for the things you need to work on.
• Ask for help. Invite others to be a part of your job search success.

List or no list, there’s no better time than now to get a good attitude to help you land a great job!

posted by: billie sucher