It’s pretty much stating the obvious to say that job hunting can be stressful. And one of the biggest reasons for that is the rejection you have to deal with. It can be a blow to the ego, and it can deflate self-confidence.
The question is then how to maintain your confidence during this trying time when it is constantly being tested. Business consultant Bill White has a few tips on how to do it.
Having self-confidence is a matter of belief, having belief in yourself, that you are capable. To maintain this belief you have to banish the thing that continually saps your confidence – self-doubt. You have to push from your mind any thoughts that are not positive ones, White says.
One way to do that is to associate with other positive people, because it is an attitude that is contagious. It is just as important to avoid negative people, because this attitude is contagious as well.
To think positive you have to get rid of negative thoughts, and that means getting rid of negative statements, according to White. Don’t say “maybe,” or “I’ll try,” or “I can’t.” These phrases are enemies of self-confidence because they give you an out, an excuse for not accomplishing what you want to. By using these words, you are essentially relinquishing personal responsibility, implying that the outcome is out of your hands, that whether something is accomplished or not is just a matter of fate.
Also, when you think about or talk about the things you want to accomplish, think or talk about them as if you had already achieved them. Again, thoughts are powerful and thinking this way puts thoughts of success in your mind, and what is first in the mind influences your action.
And finally, if the job you are looking for is something you really, really want, don’t give up. If it’s worth having, it’s worth working for, no matter how difficult. Instead of thinking you cannot achieve your goal, instead begin thinking about all the different strategies you can use to get to where you want to go, and then try them all.
Speaking of strategies, one that’s often overlooked by job seekers is signing up with one or more staffing services, such as the Opti Staffing Group. We can help people who live in Anchorage, Seattle, Tacoma, Chicago, Portland, and Lake Oswego find temporary work to help tide them over until a more “permanent” position comes along and we also have direct-hire opportunities, in which an employer hires you directly on to its payroll. Contact us today for more information!