It goes without saying that a job search can be an act of frustration. You send out tens if not hundreds of resumes without getting much more than a computer-generated response, and in the few instances where you do get to speak with a live person, typically you have one 2-minute conversation, and then never hear from them again. Throughout this all you’ve got bills to pay, so you need a job right now. But you don’t want to go through this exercise again in a year, so you want a job that you can be happy with for the long term.
On top of these common frustrations is one of the most trying & competitive hiring environments in recent U.S. history.
Want one easy way to separate yourself from the majority of people looking for work?
Being positive.
I know there’s many books & seminars about the power of “Positive Thinking” and embracing “The Secret” and while each of us may have their own beliefs about this, I think it’s important to be upbeat and try your best to be genuinely positive when you are called about your qualifications and search for a few simple reasons:
- Hiring Managers immediately imagine you in their work setting, and if you seem like a pleasant person to be around, it’s going to help them paint a positive mental picture of you in their workplace environment.
- You can extend a first interview by being cheerful- it’s human nature for people to want to be around happy people, and many times the longer you can speak to someone the better a connection you’ll make.
- Winners want to surround themselves with ‘winners.’ When I speak to a job seeker, I generally have a favorable impression of someone who is upbeat and positive about their future (even if they’re not working, but just seem to be winning at life.)
Now I know it’s not easy, but I think it really might be the thing to separate yourself from another candidate. Don’t be fake, or over the top, but do your best to stay positive.
