Are you in the right mindset for job search?

HomeAre you in the right mindset for job search?

Are you in the right mindset for job search?

Many of us seeking employment believe we know exactly how to start looking. We must update our resumes, update our LinkedIn pages, make the connections for networking, etc. Those are all great places to start. However, we can jump out there too soon. We become impatient because we worry about our finances. Are we ready to settle and just get any job?

Let’s pause to consider some questions to help us find the right mindset for seeking new employment:

  • Have we taken the time to resolve our anger from the loss of a previous job?
  • Have we considered what we want in our next position, or are we blindly going after something similar to what we had?
  • Are we productively using our time?
  • How’s our attitude?

Perhaps now is the time to take a step back and use the job search as an opportunity to look at what we really want. What lights us up?

In my workshop, “Being in the ‘Dumb Air,’” I explore these concepts. The theme is based on The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is in a new situation she has never been in, as many of us find ourselves now. Dorothy is talking to people she would never have spoken to before, saying things she has never said before and doing things she has never done before. Our goal is the same as Dorothy’s: to get “home” (and our “home” is a new position or career).

It’s time to do some visioning, to clear out of our heads of what we don’t want and keep what we do want. I like to do this with my career-coaching clients and it helps them to focus on what they want. A few suggestions to clear our heads that I find to be helpful are meditating, journaling, exercising, talking to others and sharing their experiences, etc. It really helps to know we are not alone seeking employment. Finding an accountability partner and joining a job-search team add to being in the right mindset.

Having taken the time to discover what we really want will put us in a better mindset to focus on our next opportunity. Having structure every day like we did when employed helps with daily routine. We’ll target companies, network with people who’ll be valuable connections and discover the best ways to update our resumes and LinkedIn pages.

Like Dorothy, we can overcome adversity, discover we are a lot stronger than we thought and grow our confidence. Getting ourselves in the right mindset will make the job search more focused!

 

Paula Lesso is a life coach who volunteers at Charlotte Works as a career coach, workshop facilitator and job-search team facilitator. Her passion is assisting organizations to coach and train their employees to reach their potential and beyond. She also helps others to awaken their brilliance to live extraordinary lives.



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