Place yourself in a hiring position, either as an executive recruiter, an HR professional, or another career influencer. Would you hire a person who portrays negativity, hangs their head low, or dresses inconsistent with the brand they are trying to portray?
No, chances are you would hire for positivity, engagement and enthusiasm. You would look for those who are full of life, ready to accept new challenges and opportunities, and maybe even take certain risks.
Yes, I agree, a job search generally has more lows than highs. It is a challenging time of your life, when reflection is required and you need to rally people to help you. Discouragement is rife after an extended job search period, but there are career coaches, trade associations, and outplacement agencies who can help you refresh and revitalize your attitude and push you into a new and attractive attitude.
When meeting an interviewer or other career influencer, turn on your excitement, engagement and enthusiasm. During job interviews, conversations revolve around not only whether you are the perfect fit for that job, but also if you fit into the culture, whether you will be a performer, and whether you show vigor and enthusiasm about starting the job as soon as possible.
Of course you must be true to your word, be true to your values, be true to your personal brand and be genuine in your delivery. Your verbal messaging and other marketing collateral must be built around a performance-driven, striking and updated resume, able to withstand the rigors of both the human eye and the ATS scanning machinery so prevalent in the hiring process today.
Those who treat their job search as a full-time appointment and eliminate the hindrances that can bring them down move on faster than people who stay down and distracted. Is there enthusiasm in your job search process? If not, find some.
Start by having a targeted job search strategy and career plan, and by matching your desired job to your skills. Because if you do, there are plenty of opportunities out there for you right this minute.
