Hello everyone!
Rather than talk about the nuts and bolts of job search this month, I wanted to touch on the mental game of job search.
Let’s be real, the mental aspect, or “mindset”, is really the most important part. Without the proper frame of mind, you have nothing. It’s like having the sleekest, most aerodynamic and efficient car on the road, but no engine to propel it.
There are three main attributes to develop, to have a stronger mindset. I break this down into the THREE C’s OF JOB SEARCH:
The first “C” is COURAGE.
Courage as I am defining it for this discussion, simply means “the willingness to move forward, no matter what dangers may lurk ahead.” You have all heard the saying “a coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but once”. It’s true.. Every time you don’t make that phone call, every time you don’t submit a resume, every time you dodge a networking event, you have denied opportunity, and delayed your destiny. Sure you are nervous and unsure, but if you don’t act on it, you sacrifice your future for that moment of remaining in the comfort zone.
The second “C” is COMMITMENT.
I have a saying. It’s not politically correct, but it goes like this: “half-baked efforts produce half-baked results”.
Once you figure out what to do, you need to go do it. For example, when I tell a job seeker to personalize their resume for each opportunity, the tears start. The whining starts. Since I can’t physically go to their house and stand over them, they often send the same resume over and over again to the Hiring Manager, contrary to what I told them. Then a few months go by, and they are on my phone, crying again because nothing is happening. Job seekers must commit to the process: adjust the resume, ask the questions, prepare for the meetings, do the research, make the lists, and PICK UP THE PHONE. There is no shame in not getting the position, but there is shame in not trying one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time.
The third “C” is CONSISTENCY”.
You must realize that success comes from good habits, done over and over again.
The worst thing we do is make a half-baked attempt at something, quit or get beat, and then egotistically tell ourselves that “there is nothing else to be done”. If this is your mindset, you will never get anywhere. Studies show that it takes an average of 6-10 callbacks for someone to call you back, sometimes, longer.
But if you stop after two tries, you will never make anything happen. You have to commit to a mechanized strategy of reaching out, and following up. Get a desk calendar and use it. Program it in your phone, download a free contact manager, so that you can keep track of who you are trying to talk to, and keep reaching out on a regular schedule.
Give this “way of being” a thirty day trial run, and see if it doesn’t make a difference. It takes 30 days to make a behavior a habit, so don’t worry if you blow it and fall back into old patterns. Just shake it off and climb back on the horse.
Until next time, I wish you all the best
Coach Tom
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Thomas Patrick Chuna is a certified Five O’Clock Club job search coach, teaching their proven methodology to private clients in all fields and disciplines. – I will teach you to apply the methodology to YOUR specific situation. Find me at linkedin.com/in/patrickinternational
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