When You Can’t Find Something – You Change Your Perspective: Try it With Your Job Search Too

Remember back to a time when you dropped something small onto the floor. If you didn’t see it immediately, you changed your perspective to see if you could find it looking at a different angle. Your efforts are usually met with success. Try it with the job search, too. If you can’t find a job using the same old approach, change your perspective and you may find it.

Here are some different perspectives to consider:
• Assess the new rules. I don’t have to tell you that this job market is different than ever before. The important point is that you find out how the new job market works and how to navigate in it. Don’t try to fake it or use the same old approaches.

One of the truths of the new job market is that your next job will not be your last; you will be on the job market again. Therefore you want to be good at finding a job. Learn to do it correctly now and learn what you have to do once you are employed to make the next transition easier.

For more information you will want to read RightChanges’ July article “The Truth You Need to Know but May Not Want to Hear” and the August article “Action Items Once You are Employed”.

• Assess your attitude. Is your body language telling prospective employers not to hire you? If you don’t have a positive attitude it will show in your body language, your word choice, or the energy you need to conduct a job search.

Body Language: Communication is 85% non-verbal. You can say all of the right things. If you have a bad attitude your body or tone will give you away. Attitude is a choice. You must process the loss, go through the various stages of grieving, then get to the stage where you accept the loss and look forward to the opportunity before you.

Word Choice: The word “but” means everything said before this point is not true. Did you know the word “why” has a negative connotation? It makes the recipient feel they have to justify themselves. There are ways to word the same idea without using these and other words that are considered negative.

Energy: In the job search you will hear “no” or worse silence. You don’t want to start in a hole by starting out with a negative attitude.

Get help with pressure points (keeping the roof over the head, food on the table, and the car in the drive way). You can’t find a job if you have life issues in the way.

Did you know there is a phone number dedicated to helping those who need it? We have 911 for police and fire. We have 411 for information. Here in GA we have 511 for traffic updates. The phone number 211 is the United Way. When you dial that number, they will ask for your zip code and the type of assistance you need. There is a network of resources plugged in to help. Don’t wait until it’s too late because it will limit the options that are available. Since all of us will be on the job market again, there is no shame in being unemployed. There is no shame is asking for help when you need it. Many of us give to the United Way so it’s there to help when there is a need. The Department of Labor knows of other resources that can help as well.

• Assess your accomplishments & abilities. Do you know and can you articulate why a company would benefit by hiring you? What makes you unique and better than your competition? Are there gaps in your skills making you less marketable that you can address while you are in transition?

For more information you will want to read RightChanges’ April article “You Have to Know You to Sell You” and the June article “The Power of Your STAR Statements.” “Mandatory Requirements are Not Always Mandatory” published in May illustrates how your previous accomplishments can help overcome obstacles.

• Assess your marketing materials. Do your marketing materials concisely and immediately illustrate your competitive advantage?

For more information you will want to read RightChanges’ articles “The Most Powerful Cover Letter” (May),“Resume Tune Up” (July), “An Extra Tip Regarding the T Cover Letter” (July), “What Document is as Valuable to a Job Seeker as a Resume” (August) and “Another Item in a Successful Job Seeker’s Marketing Tool Kit” (August).

• Assess your approach. Are you spending 75% of your time networking and are you productive in your networking efforts?

For more information you will want to read RightChanges’ articles “Top 3 Things to Know in Your Job Search” (July) and “Metro ATL area: As Powerful as the Book of Lists” (July), June’s “The Underutilized Job Search Tool: The Informational Interview”, and September’s “How to Network if You are Not Good at It”.

• Assess your interview skills. If you are getting to the interview and “not closing the sale” there may be aspects of the interview you can improve.

For more information you will want to read RightChanges’ September article “How Will You Answer the Interviewer’s Question…”.

Sometimes when you drop something and can’t find it, you call in someone else to help look for it. If you need a fresh perspective, hiring a job search coach can greatly help.

They say the sign of insanity is trying the same thing the same way 3 times and expecting a different result. If what you are doing to find a job is not working, it is worth looking at it from a different perspective. You may just find what you are looking for.