Job Search Tip: turning setbacks into opportunities

If you’re on the market for new job opportunities – whether you’re currently unemployed, or currently employed but looking to make a move – you’ll undoubtedly come across a variety of setbacks during your job search. Some of them might be minor nuisances, while others causing major stress and even depression.

What do I mean by "setbacks"?

Facing rejection. Getting ghosted. Not getting any response to your job application/Resume. Unable to pass certain Interview stages. You get the idea!

Firstly – if you’re experiencing any such or similar setbacks during your job search, know that you are NOT alone. Everyone experiences this at some point or the other in the search for employment. This also applies to the resulting stress, anxiety, and depression you may feel – its normal for you to have that kind of response, nothing is wrong with you, and not being able to immediately find a job does not make you incompetent.

As I like to say: the problem is in your Job Search strategy/tactics - not you as a person!

That being said – wallowing in that mental stress and anxiety is not going to help in any way either, especially if its causing you to want to just give up. So you need to somehow break out of it and see the setbacks as opportunities where you can take control over the outcome in some way.

In the past I've spoken about the factor of “control”.

When you feel that anxiety, stress or depression, it could very well be because you don’t feel in control of your job search. I know I start feeling that way when I feel a lack of control in something I'm trying to accomplish.

You’re not getting the results you want and you’re not sure where things are going wrong (or even why) – i.e. you have a lack of control, and this gets you feeling anxious and worrisome. So focusing on the lack of control is not going to help. You already know there are certain things you can’t control.

You can't fully control a Recruiter, Hiring Manager or any Interviewer - after all they're Human Beings with minds of their own. You can't control a recession. You can't control company-wide layoffs.

So why on Earth are we stressing over things none of us can control? What's the point?

Instead, let me ask you this: what CAN you control and influence? Let’s focus on that instead!

I can't control a Recruiter, Hiring Manager, or Interviewer - but I can control my interviewing and communication skills. I can't control a recession or certain industries conducting mass layoffs - but I can control my focus on industries which ARE doing well and who ARE hiring for people with my skill set/expertise.

Get the idea? While I can't control the entire thing, I can control and influence certain aspects of it - and that's what I'd rather focus on.

Here’s an exercise: take a sheet of paper and write down all the current setbacks you’re experiencing in your job search.?

Here are some examples:

• Submitted application/resume to hundreds of jobs but getting no responses
• Can’t get past the phone interview

Next, for each of the setbacks you’re facing, I want you to write what YOU can do to get more control over the outcome or influencing the result you want for that particular barrier.

Example from the points above:

Setback: Submitted application/resume to hundreds of jobs but getting no responses

What I can do/control:?

• Could possibly be my Resume. I have control over what’s on my Resume and I can change that if needed
• I can control which jobs I'm applying to. Am I applying to jobs which aren't a strong fit for the experience I bring to the table? Am I applying to jobs requiring MORE/LESS experience and therefore I'm being seen as underqualified or overqualified? I can narrow down the jobs I should be applying to and seeing if that gets me better results
• I can identify the Recruiters or Hiring Team at the Organizations I'm applying to and send them an introduction email/message as a way of standing out amongst hundreds or thousands of competing Applicants.

Setback:?Can’t get past the phone interview

What I can do/control:

• Which questions am I potentially not responding to effectively at the Phone Interviews I've done already? What are some patterns I'm noticing? What can I do to change the way I interview over the phone which will improve things?
• I can control HOW I am speaking - my tone of voice, etc
• I can research the Interviewer and Organization prior to the call. I can have my Resume and the Job Description in front of me in case I need to refer to it during the call.

Hopefully you get the idea – so for every setback you’re currently experiencing, I want you to write ways of how you can exert more control over getting yourself the desired result - even if its just in some small aspect of it.

My examples above are very brief, but feel free to be as detailed as possible about what you can do to turn each of your setbacks into opportunities to make changes, adjustments, and exercise more control so you can land yourself that Job Offer.

Ultimately, what you’ll find is, you have more control over your outcomes than you realized. And even if there are certain factors beyond your control - I want you focused on those aspects you DO have control over!

If you found this article helpful - make sure you give it a Like and Share with your network, as well as share your own thoughts in the comments below!

Want more? Here is more content from last week:

• Article: Basic tips for your next Phone Interview
• Post: Job Search AMA (Ask Me Anything) - I responded to Job Search questions you asked me in the comments
• Clip: Will ChatGPT replace the need for Business Analyst? Emal Bariali, recent guest on my Podcast, shared his thoughts
• Vote on my LinkedIn Poll: do tools like ChatGPT signal the beginning of the end for traditional internet searching?

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That's all for this week; if there are any topics you'd like me to cover in a future edition, let me know in the comments - see you next time and don't forget to Like, Comment, + Subscribe!

Dean Kulaweera