No, I’m not talking about the forbidden subjects of Sex, Religion or Politics – although if I were I’ll bet a lot more people would immediately sign up for an RSS feed.
I’m talking about your belief in yourself, in the economy and in the job market.
A lot of people say “Seeing is Believing” or “I’ll Believe It When I See It” but does that reflect reality?
I mean, how many times have you torn your house apart looking for something and gone through a drawer several times sure that something wasn’t there when all of a sudden it turned up. I know I’ve done it many, many times – usually with keys, and then took a deep breath saying, I know it’s there and a low and behold there it was right in front of me. Or even worse, have you been in the same situation saying “It’s not there” only to have someone reach over your shoulder and pick up whatever you were sure didn’t exist a second before?
We all perceive reality through the filter of our beliefs. A phenomenally successful person could have all the self-belief and confidence in the world until he loses his job and then suddenly the whole world seems very different. Now you could say that the old self-confidence took a hit but I think that it’s the belief in oneself that is hurt.
And that really comes through in an interview. If you don’t believe in yourself and your ability to land the right job you’ll come across as dispirited, bitter or desperate. Have you ever dated anyone like that? I’m sure it didn’t lead to a second date so why would you want to work with that person?
Let’s face it, as much as we all love Eeyore, it’s whimsical Pooh who sees possibilities where others don’t whose the star of the show. Now that’s not to say you should be bouncing all over the place like Tigger but when you have a strong belief you can carry people along with you because most people don’t have strong beliefs.
Have you ever had a situation where someone asked you for directions and at that moment you were absolutely sure the directions you gave them were accurate – maybe even when that person was pretty sure you were wrong? And then right after that person gave in and drove off following your directions you realized you were totally wrong? Your belief changed that person’s mind.
So in an interview situation, people will try to push you on what you believe you can do for their company. You’ve done your homework, you know the company fairly well but if you falter here it shows up. Interviewers won’t always be able to quantify it but they will get an impression that you’re just saying what they want to hear.
And when you’re applying for different jobs and things are slow it’s that belief in yourself that will keep you going and the belief that you can use your skills in many different situations that will allow you to appeal to a skeptical audience.
So rather than Seeing is Believing, I think Believing is Seeing.
Take a real hard look at where you’ve been successful and what you’ve been able to contribute to others. You’ve done it before. Believe you can do it again – even better. And hold on to that belief when you’re writing your cover letters and applying for jobs. Really go back to those successes in your mind before you go into interviews.
You’ll find that you’re in a very different state of mind when you’re talking to other people about your background and your job search. Notice how they react to you. Are you getting sympathy or enthusiasm?
No one wants a job out of pity but your belief in yourself will ignite others’ belief in you.
Let me know how it goes.
Remember, your skills are your job security.
Best,
James
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The Recruitment Underground Blog 