Photo courtesy of Susan and Travis Patton
Does negativity sabotage opportunities for finding employment?
A very wise Winston Churchill once stated, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Negative comments reflect a perceived insurmountable barrier
The key difference between positive and a negative person is that the negative person sees the barrier and often gives up. In contrast, the optimist often sees the barrier as a challenge to overcome. An optimist considers the barrier as a challenge; setting measurable small steps to accomplish their goals and eventually finds a way to successfully overcome the barrier.
Optimism is a key strategy needed for job seekers
One key issue in finding work is optimism. A person who is an optimist looks for solutions to life's problems, and seeks out ways to overcome the barriers that hinder their success. If a person gets discouraged and says that there are no jobs available, their negative thinking will convince them to stop looking for work.
While optimism alone cannot help you find work, that inner drive to thrive in today's tough economy, will allow the job seeker to continue seeking ways to find work. In addition, the person who looks for solutions to problems has developed a highly sought after skill, that employers are seeking.
If you were a hiring manager, which candidate would be more sought after?
The opportunity for job seekers
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, The Portage/Kalamazoo May 2010 unemployment rate is 11.2%, down from the December 2009 unemployment rate of 12.3%.
The optimist would also realize that the employment rate for civilian workers in this area has steadily increased since January 2010. This means that jobs are coming back, although slowly. In contrast, the negative job seeker sees the lack of available jobs as an insurmountable obstacle to find work.
How the pessimist and optimist might see the high unemployment rate
A negative job seeker might conclude that with the high rate, it's too hard to find work, and give up looking for work, or continue to blame the high economy as the sole reason for being unable to find work.
A positive job seeker realizes that other people are finding work. Which means that the job seeker needs to look at other factors besides the high unemployment rate in order to find work.
Factors can include
- Is my resume attracting attention for interviews?
- Am I applying to jobs where I meet the minimum qualifications?
- Am I looking for ways to get my name in front of the hiring managers by developing contacts in those industries, and offering to help my contacts as well?
- Am I being proactive in my job search, instead of waiting until I know a company is hiring to initiate a positive professional relationship with that company?
- Are there things that I need to do better in the job search?
- Are my personal requirements reasonable in this geographic area?
- What can I do to improve my chances of finding work?
- What skils and qualifications can I improve to be more marketable to employers?
- What do I need to do differently?
The positive person continually looks for ways to overcome these obstacles.
Attitude is key in the job search
If the negativity spills over into an interview or networking opportunity, the job seeker can quickly sabotage their job search. Yet, the attitude is an obstacle that is 100% in a person's control.
If the barrier in your job search seems too big to handle, look for ways to evaluate and break down into manageable steps. When negative comments come to mind, stop and change the thinking into a positive thought. Ask yourself if there is a way to change that thought into a challenge that you can overcome.
Why an employer might prefer a new hire with positive thinking
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Candidates who can find solutions to problems have developed a skill beneficial to most employers. Showing examples of this skill on a resume is key to attracting an employers attention for an interview.
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Positive people also score better on pyschological employment tests, because they see things in a positive light. How often have you seen similar questions on a test?
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Positive people are more likeable, and more likely to build positive relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and customers.
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Positive people can be great motivators to others.
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Positive people are less likely to become depressed.
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Positive people continue to seek solutions, even when things get difficult.
Click on this link to find additional web resources to develop positive thinking
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By the way, my thanks to Brightfuse's Robert Timper for providing the inspiration for the quote at the top of my article. He had previously used this quotation on his profile, and I had forgotten where I had first seen the comment.
If you want to read some articles by other examiners, please visit these links.
www.examiner.com/x-47908-Hartford-Job-Search-Examiner
www.examiner.com/x-10186-Job-Search-Examiner
www.examiner.com/x-48272-Hanover-Examiner
www.examiner.com/x-35748-Indianapolis-Unemployment-Examiner
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www.examiner.com/x-35974-YoVille-Examiner
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(c)2010, Joye Briggs
Comments
Thanks for this great information!
I agree.
Optimism has sure helped me deal with my daily living. I love this article. For some people it should be a real shot in the arm.
Without a doubt, great information!
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