Successful Job Searching – Extraordinary Mindset
January 13, 2010
This post originally ran on July 14, 2009 on the blog, Less Ordinary Living.
“No one’s hiring.”
“There are so many people like me looking for a job.”
“No one’s gotten back to me.”
“I’m not qualified.” “I’m over qualified.”
“I’ll never find a new job.”
Sound familiar? Most people we talk to these days with are in career transition. They’re out searching for the few available positions in a market flooded with many qualified candidates. The odds may seem stacked against you. The search can feel daunting and emotions can begin to swirl – lack of confidence, desperation, feeling like you have to “sell” yourself and your soul for a steady paycheck.
Last week, I had two conversations with colleagues actively engaged in the job search process and the two couldn’t have been more different.
“Bob” sounded like the quotes above. He’s discouraged. He lacks confidence. He’s questioning his abilities. He feels like he’s tried everything and still can’t find a new job. He feels isolated. He feels like a failure.
“Joe” on the other hand sounded upbeat. He believes that although he’s been searching for over six months and unemployment is getting close to running out, he will find something that he loves. He is 100% confident in his success. He’s got back-up plans to make money and pay the bills while he searches. He’s being creative about aligning his passions and his career. He is constantly talking to friends, family, and even near strangers about his ideas and opportunities.
This stark contrast got me thinking about what sets people apart in their job search. Both Bob and Joe are smart, qualified and experienced professionals. Yet something is different. I began to suspect that what makes you successful is not just what you’re “doing” but how you’re “being.” It seems to me that the success of your job search is highly related to, if not dependent on your mindset.
Our mindset is our attitude, disposition or mood. And often times, we aren’t conscious of the influence our mindset can have on our success or lack there of. You could be “doing” all the right things but showing up in a way that undermines your potential.
But how do we change it? How do we set ourselves up with a mindset that positively influences our job search success? How do we even realize what our mindset is at any given moment?
What stories do you have to share?
Is your mindset playing a role in your success?
Did you notice a moment when your mindset shifted from Bob’s to Joe’s?
How does it feel to be in these mindsets?
Extraordinary Support – A Dad Less Ordinary
January 13, 2010
This post originally ran on June 22, 2009 on the blog, Less Ordinary Living.
Yesterday was Father’s Day and this year, my thoughts took me well beyond the requisite Hallmark card sentiment of love and thanks to the impact my dad has had, and continues to have, on me.
This winter as I considered leaving my safe and stable corporate life for entrepreneurship I was surrounded by many naysayers. But among all those negative voices, one rose above and kept me afloat. And it usually began with, “so…I’ve been thinking…” Such simple words yet I’ve learned they carry with them a gift every time they’re uttered.
At a time when my fear of failure outweighed my desire for change, my dad said to me, “so I’ve been thinking…if you work with your clients to take risks and make big changes in their careers and lives, shouldn’t you be willing to do the same thing?”
I was blown over. He nailed it. This from a man that I had hardly given credit to for fully understanding my career as a coach. In one line, he said more to me and did more to boost my confidence in my decision than anyone had in the months leading up to that day.
Weeks later, his positive reinforcement continued. I got a call out of the blue – “so, I’ve been thinking…now is the right time for you to take this risk and see what you can make of it. There is a lot of negativity out there but if you can help people get back on their feet you will be doing a great thing. The world needs people like you helping out right now.” When I enthusiastically agreed and shared my fear of failure, he said confidently, “You can’t fail, you can only learn from this.” His confidence in me was like a safety net, a security blanket. I was getting braver.
The week I resigned corresponded with my birthday. A package arrived from my dad with two books in it. One was Home-Based Business for Dummies and the others was Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., F.I.C.S. I immediately understood the Dummies book but was unsure about Psycho-Cybernetics. I assumed it was something “coachy” he found online and thought I would be interested in.
A couple days later he called to see if I’d gotten it.
“So, what do you think about Psycho-Cybernetics?”
Well, I flipped though it; it seems interesting.
“Did I ever tell you about this book?”
No.
“I read this book when I was 22 and it was the most influential book I’d ever read. Its shaped the way I look at life ever since. It’s about how your mindset is powerful and helps you be successful. So I thought that since you were just starting out in your business, it was important for you to remember that.”
I could hardly comprehend what I was hearing. My eyes filled with tears. Not only had he never mentioned this life altering experience but here he was sharing so simply and eloquently his key to a successful and fulfilling life.
My dad isn’t the kind of guy you’d say had a charmed life. He grew up making due with what his two deaf parents could provide. He spent over 30 years working as a repairman for Sears always knowing he was capable of more but too afraid to risk the home and life he was providing for his family. Yet each day, he saw to it that he found something to enjoy. A moment with my mom, a catch with my brothers, a chat with me about what I dreamed of becoming one day, a laugh with friends, a walk in nature. What others may have seen as the life a blue-collar man was the life of a rich man to my dad. It wasn’t lavish, it most likely wasn’t all he ever dreamed of for himself, but it was all he needed.
Consciously or not, my father taught me these lessons – the importance of my outlook, to trust in myself, to always see the positive and what can be done. So instead of tickets to the ball game or an off the rack greeting card, this Father’s Day I want to say more than thanks. I want him to have the acknowledgement he deserves.
As I stepped to the edge and made the leap with his supportive hand in mine, I knew I was not only fulfilling my lifelong dream but part of his as well. More than anyone, he helped make it possible.