Friday, February 08, 2008
The Enemy that Lies Within
Those of us who coach and mentor job seekers know that the greatest challenge in getting hired isn't a tight job market, lack of a college degree or old age. In fact, the one issue that prevents success in anything we attempt is our own self-defeating human nature.. specifically pride and self-doubt.
Do one of these statements capture how you are feeling?
- I just don't have the confidence to move ahead. I can't imagine myself doing something new--I've been a _____ [fill in the blank] my whole life.
- I have feelings of unworthiness--I just don't deserve to pursue this new direction. People will likely think I'm being presumptuous and wonder, "Who is she to think she can do that!"
- I am being pressured by parents, family, or colleagues to pursue a career course that just doesn't fit with who I am.
- I'm avoiding moving on an opportunity because it seems beneath me--I've paid my dues and shouldn't have to lower myself to that level.
Antidote: Don't let your human nature dictate your decisions and whatever you do, never let self-doubt in your presence!
If you've lost your job on Thursday you're no less valuable on Friday! Only when our identity is rooted in the significance of being a human being and not based solely on what we do for a living (the lie of "I'm valuable because I'm an attorney/manager/engineer") can we maintain our inner-worth no matter what happens on the outside!
In 1961 the day after my father lost his job, my mother, a practical woman and far from a psychologist, made him put on his black pin-stripped suit and took him to the best restaurant in Cincinnati. They could barely afford it. While there she had a photographer snap a photo of them and hung it in our living room. When she would find my father still in his bathrobe as she returned from work she would hand him the framed photo as a reminder of who he was not who he had been. He went on to start a small business that sustained us for the next 20 years.
: 9:48 PM I've been in this biz 35 years and I can tell you one thing for sure.. One thing no one can ever take your talent and experience. These go with you wherever you go! Job hunt is a real challenge....That's why it's called a hunt! Hang tough and go for it! Sometimes the last man standing (not even the best man) gets hired when others have given up...
However, my experience is that a stronger enemy is the mental attitude of the employers, which in my case, has four parts:
1. Overqualified
2. Underqualified
3. Selfish employers
4. Not a relative or friend
I am a laid-off Electrical Engineer, now approaching seven years.
1. Overqualified
When I have called employers, many say they will not consider me an Engineer position because I am underqualified. I then go for a lesser position, such as an Electronic Technician. I assure them I am willing to work hard and work my way up. They refuse to consider it.
A drugstore manager actually told me, after I walked in and handed him my resume, "I can't hire you, you will find an engineering job in two weeks."
2. Underqualified
Another experience while talking to employers is this:
"We want to hire someone that can hit the ground running."
A job seeker can be 110% motivated, but as long as the employer has a negative mindset about hiring someone even 90% qualified they will never hire you.
3. Selfish employers
Many employers seem unwilling to hire an unemployed person before an employed person. These companies are very selfish because they only want what is best for them. And that is "someone that can hit the ground running." It seems that they do not like to waste time and money training a good, honest, and hard-working employee.
4. Not a relative or friend
Lastly, an enemy I have encountered is that employers may take your call, but they really will not accept you as a network prospect. I can not tell you how many times I was assured by employers that they would keep my resume on file and call me for an interview at the next job opening.
What has happened to me is that after I call, I get turned down for an in person informational interview. I manage to have a brief telephone informational interview and then send my resume. Maybe 2-3 weeks later, maybe 2 months later, I'll see them advertise in the local newspaper. I will then respond by answering the ad and also by calling shortly thereafter. The reality is they just ignore me.
So there you have it, four more enemies you will never overcome. I know, I have been trying now for nearly seven years.
: 3:29 PM Unfortunately without having met with you I can't diagnose why or prescribe a remedy for not having been hired for so long. I can say this. My practice has seen thousands of folks get hired in the last seven years and there is a reason it's not happening for you. Have you ever sought the help of a coach or counselor. There are agencies who receive grants and offer services at no charge to the job seeker.
As you want the best job, employers also want the best candidate. But everyone who gets hired isn't a relative... Everyone who gets hired has reflected a value that has stimulated an employer to be willing to pay him.
I can't validate that which I don't know but my take is that what you speak of are obstacles not enemies ... and obstacles can be overcome!
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