Bam. That’s the sound of your confidence hitting bottom. The longer you’re out of work, the bigger the hit your confidence takes. Pretty soon you’ll have trouble remembering what you did well and why anyone was foolish enough to pay you for doing it.
The good news is, you’re not alone. The bad news is, there’s no great comfort in having company. Is there real reason to be concerned? No, you are employable, you do many things well and you’ve always earned your pay. It’s not your objectivity isn’t doing you in; it’s your subjectivity. Anxiety is feeding an invasive fear that inhabits you at the worst possible times: when you’re networking and when you’re interviewing. So, what can you do to keep your self- esteem intact just when it seems to be showing some cracks?
Recognize that you’re spending more time thinking than you are taking
action. Get out of your head and out of the house. Get up early, take a brisk walk, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and then hit the phones. You’re calling on people you know and you like and want to spend a few focused minutes with, brainstorming for ideas about people to see and places to go for the job that you know you can and want to do.
If you sound whiny, wimpy, or all the worse for wear, your friends and acquaintances are going to keep their distance. Act like you’re in great shape, upbeat and positive about your outlook and your chances, and they’re far more apt to want to jump in and help. What’s that? You think that’s dishonest? You don’t want to pretend? You want them to accept you as you are or you want nothing to do with them? That’s fine. Go back to bed. See if more sleep, more downtime, and more aloneness improve your attitude or your chances.
The rest of you, put on your shoes, and come with me. We’re going to get a job. You’ll need pencil and paper or your laptop because I want you to take notes. First, write down exactly what you want. Don’t think about whether or not you can get it, deserve it, or can afford to wait for it, write it down. Next, salary. you need a minimum of 70K a year? Write it down. You want to work in a company of 10 to 25 employees. OK, make note.
Now, write a description of co-workers you want to work with: Hard working, honest, friendly but focused, with a great “we can do it” attitude? Got it. What kind of business should it be? You want a company that sells consumer products that are immediately usable and affordable. Are you taking notes? What’s your job? You’re the general manager, and you report to? The owner. Keep writing.
How involved do you want the owner to be? Ah, you want the owner to drive strategy and you want to run the business. OK. Now, for the clincher: Why are you the best person for the job? Why is this owner going to hire you and trust you, more than other job applicants, to run the operation? Take a minute to think this through and write down your response.
Ready? Go. You have a proven track record that consistently demonstrates that you’re a leader-manager who’s hard driving and goal focused. You value working with and leading a team of people that want the same thing for themselves, each other, and their customers: to be respected for integrity and consistency while providing a product of quality and affordability.
What’s the best way to find this job? Sure, check the newspapers and monster boards, but if you stop there you’re stopping short. You’ve inventoried your assets and have the tools necessary to network: You know what you need and want, what you can provide your company, and how you add value to the bottom line. That’s your ticket. Use networking to find people who know people who hire people. Tell your story by describing your objectives, again and again. Ask for names of people who can get you closer to your goal, and don’t take your shoes off until you get there.
This article was originally published in the Greensboro News and Record.
