Keeping a Positive Attitude

The outlook that we have when approaching a potential position of employment is much more important than most of us realize. All of the little things that we are supposed to remember are directly or indirectly associated with the attitude that we have. Little things like a firm handshake, posture, eye contact and appropriate dress reflect the disposition that we have chosen. 

When I say chosen, I mean exactly that. We choose our attitude. With every outside force that acts upon us, we choose our own reaction to it. Whether it is unbelievable good fortune or tragic misfortune, the way we own up to it is our own decision. Sometimes we default to feeling sad if something doesn't go our way, or happy if we encounter a pleasurable situation. Those reactions are usually visceral and largely uncontrolled. With a bit of discipline we can take control of our reactions, moods, and attitudes and eventually mold our own personality.

Now, before you roll your eyes and start thinking that I fancy myself some kind of motivational guru, let me bring all of this back to the point. Your attitude regarding your job search and especially your interviews is crucial to your success in this endeavor. At this point you cannot afford to be undisciplined. You need to capture every advantage and employ every tool that you can grasp. 

Being in the hunt for a job takes a lot of work. When you are serious about looking for employment, it becomes your job, until you get a job. There are many tasks that are involved to make the search effective. There are companies to research and websites to navigate. There is the process of creating and fine-tuning your resume. Then there is the tedium of sending out resume after resume, and plodding through all of the mindless steps required just to get an employer to know you exist. Each of the projects that are required to secure a good position is part of a whole, an overarching thematic device, designed to get you back into the workforce.

Most of this work doesn't require heavy lifting or lots of travel. Even so, it can be some of the most exhausting work that you will do. Why is that? Just look at the position that you start off in. At the inception of the project, you are probably demoralized from a recent job loss, or exasperated by an unfulfilling job, either intellectually or financially. The job search doesn't have a paycheck attached, and it requires self-motivation with no tangible incentive, other than the promise of eventual employment. Incentive born of desperation is really not a good place to start, but that is exactly the place from which most of us begin.

Starting from such an unenviable position makes it crucial that we are mentally prepared for the adventure upon which we are embarking. 

So back to the motivational stuff. Like I said, I am not a motivational guru, but there are tools and exercises that these people employ, which are most impressive. When I have used them, I have had the most prosperous times of my career. When I have disrespected or ignored them, my prosperity has waned. Dismiss them at your own peril.

So vast is this discipline of mental toughness, I won't even begin to approach a study of it here. I will point you in the right direction. Start out with the classics, the ones that started it all. There are three books that I consider the founding fathers of the genre. The first two were written in the 1930s, when the country badly needed a morale boost. The last was written at the onset of the modern self-help movement and is considered one of its cornerstones. First is “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. Second is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Third is “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale.

Steel yourself against any type of negativity as you begin your quest. Practice techniques such as visualization, neuron-linguistic-programming and meditation. Employ them daily and don't let up. Mental discipline is like any other muscle in your physical body. If it is exercised and maintained it will grow. If it is neglected it will atrophy. Find out which ones work for you and stay with them. You will find that they will continue to help you well beyond your success in securing your next job.