Recently I was working with a career coaching client, Bonnie. I met her at a presentation I gave on “The Hidden Job Market”. At the presentation I noticed that there were a lot of people who were very positive and optimistic, and then there were a few people who I call “Negative Nellies”. They came up to me before my speech with concerns such as, “I’m not getting anywhere with my search”, “Employers won’t look at me”, “I don’t have transferable skills” or “I’ve been out of the workforce for so long that I’m unemployable”.
These feelings of being discouraged were palpable and I felt for them. After the event something funny happened…those same people who were discouraged at the beginning came up to me at the end of my presentation and every single one of them had a new idea about how to present themselves differently. One person even said, “I know the CEO of the company where I’m applying for a job. I just haven’t followed up with him again.”
These are prime examples of how negative energy can affect your search for your dream job. It makes you feel isolated, and you continue to think inside the box, to the point where opportunities or ideas could be staring you in the face but you wouldn’t see them.
The flip side of this is my client Bonnie, who I mentioned before. Bonnie had a liver transplant several years ago. It was a risky surgery and she said that the chances of her body rejecting the liver were very high, but that didn’t happen to her. She was sitting right in front of me; despite being unemployed for a long time, and having great restrictions on her employment opportunities because of her health issues, she was the MOST positive person I’ve ever met. Every email I get from her is positive, upbeat and she is uncovering opportunities left and right in her job search. I am floored and inspired by Bonnie
I think we can all learn a lesson from Bonnie. We have so much to look forward to and be positive about. Try to stay positive and motivated like Bonnie in your job search. I will never forget meeting her, thanks Bonnie.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
P.S. If you need help with your job search, resume, or cover letter contact us for a complimentary consultation today.
