Approaching The Job Market In The Right Frame of Mind
Landing that next job can be a challenge without a doubt.
At the same time you might well be in a position where your chances of success are diminished, even before you get out of the starting blocks.
We all know that when we take the decision to look for that next job there is some element of risk.
We apply for jobs and get the message back that our application has not got past the initial screening.
Other times you get invited for interview but then get the feedback that someone else has landed the job.
Faced with these realities it can be tempting to think that you might as well not bother.
Of course as a professional you know the reality.
To land the next job you have to put in the effort.
Sometimes the effort will lead to the result you want.
Sometimes it won’t.
As a result it’s vital that you approach the job market and your search to land your next role in the right frame of mind.
So what might that right frame of mind be?
Balanced
It certainly is essential that you go in with a positive attitude and a degree of confidence that you have plenty to offer to an organisation.
At the same time it’s important to accept that there are things that you can influence and also things that you can’t.
For example you can influence how well you market yourself in person and in print. You can influence how well you perform in the job interview.
On the other hand you have no influence over who else is on the team, the skills and qualities the interviewer is looking for or the other people who apply.
So what you want to take is a balanced frame of mind where you accept what you bring to the table and also accept that there are other things outside of your control or influence.
Resilient
A lot of accountants and professionals find it easy to get job offers earlier on in their career.
As they move forward they can easily get despondent at the lack of opportunities and even their struggle to convert the opportunities into offers.
The thing you need to understand that as you progress in your career it is going to take you longer to land your next role.
Opportunities come up less frequently. The competition can be tougher. You may well get more rejections than you have been use to earlier in your career.
Faced with this the key is to be resilient. To keep going despite the setbacks and challenges.
The Bottom Line: While having the right frame of mind will never by itself ensure you land your next role, it can in my experience have a significant impact.
So what changes do you need to make to be in the right frame of mind to land your next job?
About the Author Duncan Brodie
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.