Do you consider yourself to be a cup half full type or cup half empty type? Your brain works using “thought patterns,” and every passing decision that you make is affected by these patterns.
Let’s say you are walking down the road and a car hits a huge puddle that inevitably splashes you leaving you soaking wet. What is your initial reaction?
Don’t let your brain get into the pattern of negative thinking; this could leave you viewing your own reality and every day situations in a negative manner. It may not even be your fault; you have accidentally trained your subconscious to view your life from a negative viewpoint.
Don’t worry, you can reverse your thinking and continue on your way toward a successful career!
- Awareness. In order to change negative thought patterns that are taking over, you will need to deepen your awareness of the mind. What the heck does this even mean? Think about how perceive and interpret various situations. If you are letting your negative thoughts take over, then make an effort to reverse your thinking. Instead of thinking, “good things never happen to me” start thinking “good things always happen to me.” Instead of thinking, “I cannot get a job,” start thinking “I can get any job I want.”Start to train your brain to automatically see every situation in life with a positive mindset. Negativity will only prevent you from being the best version of you. Enthusiasm and a positive outlook will attract the attention of potential employers and open exciting opportunities.
- Stress. It seems that most job seekers experience stress at some point during their search. If you do not manage your stress appropriately, it could hinder your every day life, including your interviewing performance.
- Why do job seekers stress out? Well, money (or lack of) may contribute to part of the problem. Lack of control seems to be another one of the largest contributing factors. You have no idea when you are going to get an interview, what the recruiters are thinking about you, who your competition is, or why you were not invited to that second interview.
- How to overcome stress? Have confidence in yourself! You know that you are an outstanding employee; you are interviewing the employer as much as they are interviewing you. Take a time-out from your job search and center yourself, limit alcohol and caffeine, get enough sleep, take deep breaths, count to 10 slowly, and accept that you cannot control everything. Unfortunately stress is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to control you. Identify what triggers your anxiety and take action!
- Keep Moving. Literally and metaphorically. Literally, exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Find something that you truly enjoy and don’t forget to set small, daily goals! A health body does wonders for a healthy mindset. Metaphorically, forward motion is necessary to sustain your optimism. Keep your confidence high and do not let self-doubt or low self-esteem creep in.
- Invest in Yourself. Be proactive and figure out what you need to do to get the job you want. Reach out to people within your field for informational interviews. Explore the network of people who you already know. Read books and blogs or participate in training programs. Get the information that you need that will help you get to where you want to go. A quote that I once heard from a TED talk was “fake it until you make it.” Act like you are the expert and one day you may wake up to find out that you are actually the expert.
Written By: Mary Southern, M.Ed