How to Deal with Job Search Discouragement

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If you are finding yourself facing discouragement in your communication job search, rest assured you are not alone. Thousands and thousands of, between career workers, are finding it more and more difficult to keep a positive attitude when it comes to finding their next job.

In some instances an unsure economy can cause employers to put off hiring new employees. Unsure that they will be able to create more business to sustain the new hires can be a compelling reason for them not to pull the trigger for hiring.

"It appears as though employers are afraid to make decisions. In essence, they seem to begin the job search process, put it on hold, decide on a different avenue, recruiter vs. in-house, etc., start, stop, redesign the job — and then the process repeats,” said Lisa Anderson, a management consultant and founder of LMA Consulting Group, Inc. “For those job seekers who are the best in their field, it can be quite discouraging to experience this process on a daily basis.”

What all of this can do is have a devastating impact on people who are looking for a new job in their chosen field. They start to doubt themselves and whether or not they will ever find another job.

“Lots of people have given up on searching for a job right now, and are waiting it out, hoping the economy will pick up next year,” said Cy Wakeman, a human resources consultant. "The danger in this approach is not only that many people do not have enough cash today to wait out the recession, but they are resorting to an age-old business mistake: making ‘hope’ their only strategy, hoping for something outside of themselves and their control to make the difference or to save them from their own situation.”

While it seems like the easiest path is to give up on your job search, or to put it on hold, it is not the wisest. This is where believing in yourself is the most important thing you can do to find the job you really want and to get hired.

A good example of this thinking concerns my neighbor, an engineer, who was laid off three years ago from his job with an automotive supplier. He went through the typical cycle of admitting it had happened, accepting it, coming up with a plan and taking action. In other words, he did not stop believing in himself and his abilities to be an engineer. After a little over three years of being unemployed, he adjusted his expectations to how far he would drive, and accepted a contract position with another automotive supplier. He is earning a reasonable salary and his self esteem has been restored.

If there is a lesson to be learned, here it is: Don’t give up. By keeping your focus on finding the kind of job that works for you, you will eventually be successful.

 


Tom Borg is a consultant in leadership management, team building and customer service. Please see more of his blogs at CommunicationsJobsBlog.net

and businessworkforceblog.com. To view additional job postings go to Nexxt






 

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