5 SECRETS OF LUCKY JOB SEEKERS

Recently, in my local newspaper, there was a front-page Business section article on people who are long-term unemployed. The definition of long-term unemployed is six months or longer. The statistics for the long-term unemployed are the highest they have been in 62 years (not just in sheer numbers, but also in percentage of the workforce that is unemployed). During the last “recession” in 1983, 2.6% of the work force was long-term unemployed. Today it is 4.3 %. Is this you, or someone you know? Help is here.

 

I know what you are going through. I was once unemployed for three years (03/2000 – 12/2002). I must confess that I didn’t seriously look for work the entire time. Some time was spent going through the grief of losing my job and then later on of being unemployed. I also took chunks of time out to do other things that ultimately made my life richer and provided great satisfaction.

 

One of the things I choose to do was provide hospice care. Just before I lost my job to downsizing, my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Suddenly, I had lots of time to be able to care for her. I was no longer constrained by a job with when I could visit her or for how long. Rather than hire a stranger, something my parents were reluctant to do, I volunteered to help care for my mother. I saw it as a time to make a partial payment to Mom for all that she did for me in raising me. I found this time to be profoundly spiritual and yes, uplifting.

 

Another thing I did during this time was join a volunteer job search group. I did every “job” offered, from answering the phone to teaching classes to becoming president of the organization. I initially joined the Education committee to teach the courses in job search that we offered. I did that to overcome my fear of public speaking. I blossomed in this group. People sought me out to help them not just find a job, but to help them find their dream job. My natural leadership was noted and I was elected president repeatedly for over a year and a half.

 

I am not telling you my history of this period, to give you my résumé. I tell you this, to illustrate what I did to keep busy and productive. Yes, there is a “paid work” gap on my résumé and applications, but I can also demonstrate what I did and what skills I used and developed to employers during these three years. I also know down in my bones how it feels to be out of work for so long that it feels like you have lost a piece of who you are. I know how your self-worth takes a dive.

 

Below are my first five tips to imbue yourself with greater resiliency in your job hunt and that in turn will make you lucky. I am only providing tested and proven tips. Some things sound good, but really don’t make a difference. The tips below have proven to make a difference.

 

As Oprah Winfrey has said:

“Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.”

I think we can all agree she is one lucky person. That is because LUCK does not rely on the plans of the universe or fate. Luck is all about the way you think, your outlook on life and what you see in that life.

 

1. Truly Believe You Will Be Lucky
Start living life from the perspective of a “lucky” person, and maybe you’ll come across that opportunity for an interview or meet the person you need to know to get that job. Do you actually believe the phrase, “Mind over matter?” All those self-help coaches, like me, telling you to “Stay positive! Be optimistic!” may be annoying and seem disingenuous, but we are onto something.

 

“If you believe you are fortunate much of the time, you are likely to exhibit behavior that makes people more responsive to you,” says Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Authentic Happiness.

To get in the right mindset of a “lucky” job seeker, you truly have to believe in the likelihood of good things happening to you. People like to be around upbeat, positive people. When you look for the positive, you are more likely to recognize the door of opportunity when you see it.

 

2. Be Grateful for What You Do Have
First of all, to whom do you compare yourself? Wrong! Compare yourself only to yourself. Look at all you DO have. Be grateful for that. Be grateful for the people in your life. Be grateful you know technology and are able to navigate to this blog article. If you found me, what else, who else, can you find to help you? Start a gratitude journal. Five things. Every. Day. Preferably, find five different things everyday. Repetition is allowed after two years.

“Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged.” – Helen Keller

If you’re constantly comparing your life with the lives of others, of course you’re going to feel unlucky! However, winning the lottery or getting a job does not guarantee happiness or luck. Often, lottery winners are miserable from the media attention and all the people seeking handouts. How happy were you at your last job? Maybe that “sweet” job you applied for isn’t so sweet.

 

The grass always seems to be greener on the other side, but always keep in mind, just because something might seem great for somebody else, it doesn’t exactly mean it’d be great for you too. You need to travel your own path, not somebody else’s. That is a very good thing.

 

3. Stay Positive
Some luck-inhibiting emotions are resentment, anger, jealousy, bitterness, blaming, criticizing or shyness. People want to help you. But, if you show these emotions, they will run away. No one likes to be brought down by others.

 

Notice when negative emotions arise. If possible, avoid those situations that bring up these feelings. Consciously choose a positive emotion to counter it. For example, another rejection comes to your email. Don’t think, “I’ll never get a job.” Instead, think, “At least this one was well written.”

“It is one thing to feel these negative emotions but another to show them. If you recognize what triggers these emotions — recognize that you tend to get upset in these situations — you can take steps to defuse or overcome them before they are expressed.” Raymond DePaulo, chair of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and author of Understanding Depression.

 

You’ll be more optimistic, confident, and extroverted — all qualities people find attractive.

 

4. Embrace Spontaneity (Opportunity)
Keep an open mind to the random events that happen and the random people you meet in your life. See every instance as a potential situation for improving your luck. Look for the opportunity in these events.

“Always keep your options open and be prepared to make mistakes,” says John Krumboltz, professor of education at Stanford University. “You get more in life when you are willing to learn than closing everything out.”

Striking up a conversation with a person in the grocery line can be the start of an important networking relationship with someone who may know of a job opening in your area of expertise. Taking a new route, hanging out with a different social group, or even attending something you come across randomly — all of these spontaneous events can easily pave the way to new “luck” and opportunity.

 

5. Be Prepared
OK. You’re embracing spontaneity and looking for opportunity. Nothing is happening for you. Before you go, “Ah-HA!” Ask yourself, “Am I prepared for opportunity?” The opportunity in these random and your other everyday events will only work for you if you are prepared. Imagine you strike up a conversation with the woman sitting next to you on the airplane and find out she’s a marketing manager at a company you’d love to work at. Yep, opportunity is knocking!

 

Are you prepared to impress her with all your knowledge about that company or industry? Do you have interesting and intelligent questions prepared about the workplace culture and industry news? Do you have a good elevator speech to highlight your skills, knowledge and abilities? Or, are you going to fake your way through it or not even bother telling her you’re looking for a job in her field? That is missed opportunity.

 

If you’re prepared, this chance encounter could be a major break and a giant step toward your dream job. If not, well, sadly, but there may not be a next time.

 

You can do this. Job search is hard. If you let it, job hunting can suck your soul dry. The gentleman, Robert Mathis, in the newspaper article is quoted saying, “Finding a job is the hardest job you can do.” So true. Keep working your résumé. The only perfect résumé is the one that gets you a job. What works for one hiring manager, may not work for another. Go to your local career center for retraining. Sign up with a local temporary staffing agency, and volunteer. All these are proactive steps you can take.

 

Most importantly, find and do things that make you happy. Cook a meal, garden, take a walk or whatever else makes you happy. Remember, just as you are not your job title, you are not this situation. This is what is happening to you. You are still that great person with valuable skills you have always been. You can do this.

 

This Week’s Coaching:
1. Answer the following questions. Be honest with yourself.

•  Are you prepared for opportunity?
• What else can you do to be better prepared?
• More prepared?
• Seek feedback on how others perceive your attitude and demeanor. Make sure your inner optimism is on display.

 2. Begin, or resume, a Gratitude Journal. Write down five things you are grateful for every day. Don’t repeat items. Find new things everyday. You know you have turned a corner, when you become grateful for adversity. Or, the return of the ordinary.

 

3. Ensure you do something just for you, every day. Self-care is an important part of keeping your enthusiasm and optimism up. It is just like the skates you had as a child. When you didn’t take care of them (put them away, oil and clean them) they rusted out and you couldn’t skate anymore. Take care of yourself, so you don’t rust out.

 

Let me know what you are doing for self-care. I am planning an article on self-care and need some additional ideas or tips that you could share. Things that are low cost would be most beneficial. Write to me at eal@ealcoaching.com. Thanks!

 

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

 

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com