Hi everyone!
When I’m asked, “what’s the hardest part of a job search”? I always say the same thing – “making sure that the jobseeker doesn’t mentally and emotionally ‘check out’ of the process”
Here is an example of “checking out”… let’s say you find a pertinent (or somewhat pertinent) position in the want ads...you think “hey, I can do that job”, so you send the same generic cover letter and the same CV you’ve sent out a hundred times already…then you sit and hope for a response.
Hi everyone!
When I’m asked, “what’s the hardest part of a job search”? I always say the same thing – “making sure that the jobseeker doesn’t mentally and emotionally ‘check out’ of the process”
Here is an example of “checking out”… let’s say you find a pertinent (or somewhat pertinent) position in the want ads…you think “hey, I can do that job”, so you send the same generic cover letter and the same CV you’ve sent out a hundred times already…then you sit and hope for a response.
This isn’t job search…this is blindly responding to an external stimulus in a repetitive fashion…and it doesn’t work…it’s bad enough to wait for something to wander across your field of vision, but it’s even worse to pursue random things with random, half – measures.
Most folks do this because they don’t know any better, which is correctable…sadly, many others do this from a position of choice, and will rationalize and justify what they are doing.
I’ve had jobseekers tell me – “I don’t bother to tailor my cover letters to a specific position”… they also tell me “one CV is good enough”…another common one is “ I don’t think it works calling or writing people”…
As a coach, this makes my head spin…the justifications I get are many – “It’s all political, I don’t know anybody in that company”… “it’s too complicated to do all that writing”…”nice people don’t call or write and ask for stuff”…”if they can’t see what I can do, that’s on them and I don’t want to work for stupid people anyway”…
In my eyes, all of this justification is nonsense, so don’t engage in it…what I have found (big revelation here) is that job seekers are annoyed and angry that they are in this position in the first place…so they often retaliate like little kids who are being forced to do chores…they get obstinate and whiny…as I am fond of saying, if that’s you, get over yourself and get to work…learning to deal with setbacks and tragedy effectively are part of being a grownup, so while you are dithering and procrastinating, the guy with less hang – ups than you is going to win.
We as people are hampered by two things – character flaws, and ability flaws…ability flaws, such as not being comfortable on the phone, are correctable with time, teaching and effort… character flaws are deadly, and are only correctable if you are willing to let them go…if you are a procrastinator by nature, or you float in a sea of negativity, or have zero patience with new things, your life is going to be a lot tougher. These things will also render you “unemployable.”
Job loss, like other tragedies, tends to magnify our faults, and how we deal with life WILL affect how we deal with job loss, the two are intertwined… You can’t quit just because you are tired, and remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint…
Putting yourself out there is hard…figuring out HOW to put yourself out there is even harder…failing is easy, which is why it’s so popular. Choose the harder way, even when you don’t want to, and the rewards will come.
Until next time, I wish you all the best.
Coach Tom Thomas Patrick Chuna is a certified Five O’Clock Club job search coach.
The Five O’Clock Club is a nationally recognized outplacement firm with a proven job search methodology that helps job seekers get better jobs faster.
The Five O’Clock Club also provides affordable, humane outplacement services to companies who care about the well being of their employees.
Tom is also an experienced independent recruiter specializing in molecular oncology research scientists & MD’s.
Learn more: http://www.fiveoclockclub.com http://www.patrick-international.net
