236: Hopefulness - A Necessary Ingredient in Your Job Search

The Exclusive Career Coach

I recently read “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brené Brown, and her section on Hope and Powerlessness really resonated with me. I wanted to translate her concepts to the job search and give my take on her concepts.

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Getting back to Brené Brown and Hope, her research revealed that hope isn’t an emotion, but rather a way of thinking or a cognitive process. Hope, then, is a thought process made up of a trilogy of goals, pathways, and agency.

Hope happens when:

-We have the ability to set realistic goals

-We are able to figure out how to achieve those goals, including the ability to stay flexible and develop alternative routes

AND

-We believe in ourselves.

Here’s my translation:

-We know what we want

-We know how to get there

AND

-We believe we can do it.

According to Brené, hope can be learned. Children most often learn hope from their parents. We may have learned hope from other significant role models in our lives, such as extended family, teachers, coaches, or clergy.

Let’s translate all of this into the job search. If we think of Brené’s trilogy of hope, our job search will be successful if:

-We set SMART goals – realistic, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-sensitive. In other words, we aren’t just out there REACTING to job boards – applying to jobs with the mindset of “that doesn’t sound bad,” or “I could do that.” We are being proactive with our job search.

-We have a plan to achieve those goals – what will we do each day towards landing our dream job. At the same time, we are open to mid-course corrections as we gather data on what is – and isn’t – working for us. We are willing to be disappointed as many times as needed to get that great job.

-We believe we are qualified for, and deserving of, a great job with great pay, benefits, and working conditions. We don’t downplay our qualifications and skill set, nor do we settle for “good enough.”

Brené talks about children needing boundaries, consistency, and support to develop their hopefulness. As job seekers, we need the same things:

-Boundaries – this is what I am willing to do/not do and what I am/am not willing to sacrifice for my job search. Further, boundaries need to be set around what is most important to us in our next employer and job – and be unwilling to compromise on those non-negotiables.

-Consistency – job seekers who occasionally network, stop and start their job search when other things in their life get complicated, or don’t follow through on their plan lack the consistency to be successful in their search. I require my clients to dedicate a consistent minimum of 5 hours per week on their job search if they are currently employed – with considerably more time required of those who are unemployed.

-Support – job seekers need the right kind of support. In addition to supportive family and friends who sign on with your goals, you need professional support. This can include a professional resume writer, career coach, and job search group. It is so important to have help with both your mindset, job search strategy, and execution to be successful.

Your job search isn’t going to be fun, fast, or easy – and one of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make is deciding arbitrarily that “this is taking too long,” “This is too difficult,” or “they aren’t hiring me because of _____.” These beliefs are hope killers.

Hopeful self-talk might include:

-“This is hard, and I can do hard things”

-“I am patient with myself as I learn new skills”

-“I am becoming better at _____.”

This is not to say that your entire job search will be a drudge. Find ways to infuse fun into your job search! For example:

-Reward yourself each day after achieving that day’s job search goals

-Make your networking meetings as fun as possible, while still achieving your goals. Laughter is great medicine.

-Allow yourself to get excited about the possibilities you are finding! Not from a place of “if I don’t get THIS job, I’m a failure,” but rather, from a place of “It’s so exciting to learn about what this company is doing.”

Finally, you’ll need to cultivate a tolerance for disappointment in your job search. You’ll inevitably hear lots of no’s or get no response at all many times before you get to your coveted “yes.”

Thoughts such as these can help you through those no’s:

“I thought that was the job for me, but I was mistaken.”

“Something even better is coming for me.”

“They were simply mistaken when they didn’t hire me. The right company will recognize and reward my genius.”

Here’s a quote from Brené’s book:

“Powerlessness is dangerous. For most of us, the inability to effect change is a desperate feeling. We need resilience and hope and a spirit that can carry us through the doubt and fear.”

Your job search is a tremendous opportunity to cultivate hopefulness and a feeling of power. YOU are in control of your job search; YOU can effect change in any area of your job search that isn’t working for you. YOU can weather – even grow from – the disappointments and setbacks in your job search.

YOU’VE got this.

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If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more:

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2