Planning On Getting Hired In 2014?

I imagine that if you are unemployed at present, you’re of only one of two mindsets as you look at the arrival of the new year. Either you’re pessimistic and feel that although the calendar has rolled over, nothing much has really changed and you’d only be deluding yourself to think otherwise, or you’re optimistically looking at the new year as a fresh start to your job search.

How successful or not you will ultimately be doesn’t start with how many new jobs the government will create, the opening of a new manufacturing plant, the number of jobs advertised on a website or getting your resume printed on snazzy high quality paper. No, it really all starts with what’s going on between your ears.

What you think, how you approach your job search, how you’ll deal with rejections and lack of acknowledgement when you do apply for jobs is critical. The value you place on networking, getting out and talking to people, sharing your job search details with others so they can be on the lookout with you, your willingness to establish and maintain a goal-directed and focused job search; it all begins with your attitude and how you view the entire process. And the good news is that 100% of this is entirely within your control!

Now don’t go to the ridiculous extreme of thinking that I’m telling you that getting a job is as easy as just believing you’ll get one and presto!, employers are ringing your front doorbell. That is something I’d never try to sell you. What I am saying is that a job search is going to have its moments of good news and bad, and how you react and deal with both pieces of news will impact critically on the final outcome.

If you really are serious about getting a job, one of the first things you should be prepared to do is be able to state the job you are most interested in and qualified to do. If you can’t honestly state what you’re qualified for and want to do, don’t apply for just anything until you get help figuring out this critical first step. Even if you get a job, you’ll likely dislike it otherwise, and this will lead to you quitting or getting fired for not performing up to expectations. The result will be you’ll be right back where you are now in a few weeks or months.

So suppose you’ve got a clear idea of both the job you want and are qualified to do. Great! Now realize that you’ll likely be up against many other people who will apply for the same job. While you may be qualified, many others will be too, but not all. Those who are not qualified will be ruled out and not even get an interview which is good news for you. Of those who are qualified, many will not take the time to target their resumes and write a cover letter, so again, good news for you. (You see they’ll be qualified but appear not to be on paper).

So far you’ve already got two pieces of good news in this job search. However of all those remaining, you’re now up against people who like you, took the time to write a cover letter and have marketed themselves well to the employer. You may get an interview and you may not. Suppose – just suppose – you don’t get an interview. Other candidates were selected for the interview but you were not. Well that’s disappointing isn’t it? It’s at this point that what’s going on between your ears becomes critically significant. How will you deal with this setback?

The easiest and most tempting thing to do is tell yourself that it’s 2013 all over again and part of you might want to throw in the towel….again. Fight that urge to give in and give up! After all the work you put in to researching the company, finding out what you could about the job itself, shouldn’t it make sense to also find out why you didn’t get to the interview stage? Maybe there’s a course you don’t have on your resume, or you had basic spelling errors in your cover letter. By finding out what got others that coveted interview and where you came up short, you’re getting information that’s going to improve your chances next time.

You see you will probably experience these let downs before you land the job you’re after. This is actually normal and experienced by those who ultimately achieve success. In fact, what makes many people appreciate the jobs they get offered is often how many rejections they had leading up to that point.

As odd as it sounds, your job search itself may be a fantastic story to use in the interview WHEN you land one; you can talk about your persistence, how you deal with frustration and rejection, your enthusiasm to ultimately succeed, how resilient and tenacious you are when you want something so bad you can taste it!

Or on the other hand, you can give up on January 1st before you’ve even given yourself a chance. And if you do, you will be a very difficult person for others to assist simply because self-motivation is not something someone can give you. Give yourself permission to fail and learn from the experiences. It’s 100% within your control! 

Written By Kelly Mitchell

Planning On Getting Hired In 2014? was originally published @ myjobadvice and has been syndicated with permission.