As we enter the season of Thanksgiving & end of year reflection, remembering that maintaining a good attitude during your job search may be the most important thing you can do. It is one activity you have complete control over and it touches every aspect of your search.
From drawing on the energy to move forward in your search all the way through to negotiating your salary, a positive approach will assist you every step of the way towards your next position.
Motivation
It’s no secret that looking for a new position is a full-time job. Finding a job often requires a significant commitment; customizing your resume, applying to a position, networking to find a referral within the company, sending thank you cards and providing references are all typical steps taken during a job search. The volume of work alone can drag down even the most motivated person and grind your job search to a full stop, after a few weeks of effort.
One way to keep your spirits high as you wade through the activities of a job search, is to set small daily goals and celebrate the completion of the incremental daily steps you complete along the way. Many people become discouraged during their day-to-day efforts because they only measure success in terms of the final outcome—finding a job. By breaking down your job search into steps and celebrating each mile-marker, you can generate the motivation needed to execute a disciplined and effective job search.
Networking
Are you aware of how you discuss your job search with friends, family, and colleagues? Occasionally it can be beneficial to let off some steam with a close, trusted friend. However, keep in mind a negative attitude could keep connections from recommending you to potential employers. Think of how you want to be perceived by a potential employer and remember to act accordingly when you reach out to your network. The more professional and upbeat you can be, the more enthusiastic people will be to help you in your endeavors.
A healthy outlook when networking is essential not only for the impression you give but also influences the value that you provide to your network. When you contribute in a meaningful way to people around you, it deepens the connection between you and grows the relationship. Remember to go to your network to give, not to gain. In practice, this means be willing to make referrals, introduce people to each other, or offer resources to help others achieve their goals. In the long-run, this strategy will strengthen your relationships and make others willing to help you as well.
Marketing: Resume, Cover Letter & Online Profiles
When marketing yourself during your job search, it is important to monitor your tone and be thoughtful as you paint a picture of yourself as a potential employee. Keep a positive perspective, even with recounting challenging experiences. For example, instead of sharing frustrations from a project, share the lessons learned and how you leveraged these in future work initiatives.
Also, be conscious of the light that you show your former employer in. Be judicious about what you share in your resume and online profiles, especially if you handled sensitive or confidential information about the employer. Future employers will notice if you are indiscreet or show disregard for the companies that you previously worked for and may worry someday you may communicate the same way about them. If you have a tricky situation to convey to future employers, ask the advice of a trusted colleague or professional career coach to ensure you always take the high road on your resume and during interviews.
Job Search
How you view your prospects, abilities, and what level of importance you assign to your own preferences will determine the type of jobs you apply to and ultimately may determine how well your next job fits you. If you are down about your prospects, feel unqualified or think you won’t be able to get the things you want in a job, you may need to do some work to achieve a positive attitude which will benefit your job search.
First, do a careful inventory of what your priorities are in terms of what you want from your job, considering all major factors like the role, salary, location, and work/life balance. Next, speak about your qualifications with other people in your field and get a firm sense of what is attainable, what is an appropriate career-stretch goal, and what is an ideal five-year plan for your career. Thinking of your career as a progression and look at it as objectively as possible by focusing on your knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as your educational level and years of experience. This exercise will help you more accurately assess what jobs are a good fit for you. If you pair this activity with the inventory mentioned above it will help ensure you find work you are well suited for, which also suits you.
Ultimately, your goal is to make a great choice for your next role so you won’t be right back in a job search if the job isn’t a satisfactory match.
Interviewing
Interviewing is a critical point to not only express your qualifications but also to express your enthusiasm for the role and to give an overall positive impression. If you left your last company on bad terms, or if you have strong negative feelings about your last role, be sure to speak to someone you trust about those feelings so you can have an easier time leaving the negative tone out of your interview. Next, be sure to practice and prepare carefully for your interview. Companies want to know you are excited and eager about the position and the related work. Preparation is key in communicating to an employer that you really understand and want the position.
Also, pay attention to your body language during an interview. Sit upright, smile, take notes, and stay interested and engaged. Keep your arms uncrossed because this is generally perceived to convey a lack of trust or acting defensive. Make eye contact with each of your interviewers and treat them with gratitude throughout the interview. Remember, even if you are nervous, they wanted to speak with you about the job opportunity! The interview is your opportunity to speak with them to understand the role and company, but also to make your case for why they should hire you.
Rejection
Throughout your job search, there will be times when you don’t receive a response to your application and jobs you’ll find out you didn’t get offered. It is important to build your resilience in the face of rejection or lack of response. One way to do this is to stay focused on finding the next job to apply to, the next event to go to, and the next interview to prepare for. When you are managing your attitude well, your thoughts will be more proactive and forward-facing. If you find yourself dwelling over the last rejection or procrastinating with new applications because you are still holding out hope for a job you applied to last month, switch gears by developing a list of next steps for you to complete. Then get to work to finish each step. You’ll gain more momentum in your search if you make this a habit and you’ll feel better about your chances overall.
Salary Negotiations
A bad attitude can sink a salary negotiation before it even starts. If you don’t understand your value, if you don’t understand the marketplace, or if you aren’t feeling confident, it is unlikely you’ll make much headway in a salary conversation. Likewise, avoid frustrations or feeling offended by any salary offers, regardless of how low it may be. The salary is more likely a reflection of their budget for the role than a reflection of your perceived value.
If you’ve managed to keep a positive attitude all the way through your search to this point, then you should be in the right position to research your salary, offer a reasonable number or counter an offer, and be able to explain why you merit the salary you requested. Experience level, unique qualifications, exceptional contacts, and specialized or advanced education are all reasons you may have for requesting more money, vacation time, or any other negotiable element of your employment offer.
Unlike other types of negotiations, the desired outcome of this encounter is to create a win for both yourself and the employer. You are still building the beginning of your relationship, so be sure to keep the negotiations focused on the value you bring to the table to ensure a positive outcome for everyone involved.