During an executive job search, days may stretch into weeks and weeks may become months with no new job offer. No, that’s not an exaggeration. Yes, it is the norm. While you search for your next management position, the ability to maintain a good, productive attitude is absolutely key to your job search success. Of all the things that impact your job search results, your attitude and the image you project are two things that you can absolutely control. So control them you must.
One of the primary culprits facing executive candidates during their job search is the feeling that their search efforts are producing no fruit. In truth, if you are conducting an organized executive job search, all of your efforts do count. But the fact that you are doing your part is not an entitlement. So it may still take weeks or even months to land that new position. Here are a few ways to keep yourself focused and positive during your job search.
Exercise humility. In many ways, you are starting over. If you are leaving one management post in search of another opportunity, you have much to learn and much to prove. If you keep that in mind as you conduct your search, it will keep you from slipping into the entitlement mindset that you deserve the job.
Say no to self pity. This one may be the biggest trick of all. Self pity slips in quietly and makes you feel like things are not going the way they should go. Before you know it, you’re singing the “woe is me” song and foiling your own efforts by going into each new search task with a negative attitude. The danger of self pity is that it can transition into depression without you even noticing. Depression is a job search killer.
Rest in your confidence. Always think in terms of your true value. Confidence is you having an accurate assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses and knowing how they work together to make you an asset to your target company. It is possible to be confident and recognize that you are not a good fit for a particular company. Don’t be offended when the hiring manager agrees. It doesn’t mean you aren’t valuable. It just means you aren’t the right fit.
Don’t take rejection personally. Resilience is key to continued success in your job search. It may be emotionally trying to aim for 150 positions and only have 3 or 4 of them to respond with interest. Don’t take it personally. Understand that there is a massive pool or worthy competitors out there, all angling for the position you want. To a very real degree, the job search is a numbers game.
Persist. No matter what happens on Monday, start your Tuesday executive job search off fresh with a good attitude, lots of energy and enthusiasm, and with your search strategy still in place.
Avoid desperation like a plague. Desperation is a no-no. Not only is it off-brand for whatever professional persona you have developed, but it also makes other people terribly uncomfortable. Never arrive at an interview in a desperate state. Desperation is fueled by fear and no one is looking to hire a fearful leader.
Stinkin’ thinkin’ will corrode your chances of landing the right job even when it presents itself. In part, because humans are wired to recognize when those around us are experiencing potentially harmful emotions like sadness, anger, bitterness and despair. Rarely does such an emotion invoke compassion during an interview. More often than not, executive recruiters will sense your displeasure and remember how your bad attitude may have changed the atmosphere in the room when you entered for your interview. So, for your own sake, do what you can to maintain a positive attitude. Your executive job search depends on it.