3 Tips To Positively Approach the Job Seeking Process

Job seeking is often a long and daunting process with its own ups and downs. Every job seekers’ journey is identical for the most part. Let me explain.

• Their frustrations are alike
• Their pain points are alike
• And to a great extent their outcomes are also alike

The best way to stand out during these trying times is by having patience, perseverance and maintaining a ‘Positive Attitude’.

"I will find my dream job through patience, determination and diligence."

As job seekers, we often think of ourselves as the one on the ‘seeking’ side, the ‘wanting’ side. We tend to forget that we have something valuable to ‘give’ in exchange too. And that is our time, our talent and most importantly our personality. We give what we have and therefore it is important to have the things worth giving. It’s about time we change the conversation and recognize that an employer – employee relationship is more like a barter exchange and not a favor. You exchange skills, time and energy for money.

When we are out there searching for a job and dealing with rejections and disappointments, below are the three ways we can positively approach the job seeking process. 

1. Review Organizational needs and your skills. Before applying for each and every job that appears on the job portal, within our domain or expertise, take time to review what is it that the organization is looking for. Meditate upon ways how you can help meet those needs and provide resolutions. It is important for our skills to be complementing the needs of the organization for us to feel fulfilled in our role. After all, that’s what the employers are looking for too – ‘the perfect match’. Someone that matches with the organizational requirements not just from a skills standpoint but also from a culture, value and growth standpoint.
2.  Empathize with the interviewer. As a jobseeker, our frustration is real. But I’d like to encourage you to empathize with the interviewer’s state of frustration too. Just as you as a job seeker are tired of finding the ‘right fit’ for your organization, employers are also tired of finding the ‘right fit’ for their organization. Communication is the key here. There needs to be clarity in communication on both the employer as well as the job seeker’s end on where the gaps are. Why this work relationship will or will not work. With clear communication, connections are made, bridges aren’t burnt and rejection doesn’t break us.
3.  Focus on providing value. Be it in the job application process, during the interview or post interview courtesy, always focus on providing value. This is possible when we have an optimistic mindset, when we are confident and we are solutions oriented. It has been proven with great success rate (>80%) that when the focus is on scalable, practical solutions, the listener is more receptive, gets a positive impression and is filled with hope. Besides, as popularly known, it is true that, ‘people may forget what you told them, but will never forget how you made them feel.’ And feeling positive and hopeful is a great way to build long lasting relationships.

By showing empathy in action, providing value, having a solution focus and aligning our job applications with the right organizational needs, we can avoid frustration or rejection.

A YouMap assessment with a certified YouMap coach can help you identify your core strengths, values, preferred skills and personality type. A thorough understanding of how all of these factors are intertwined together and how they show up in our life is critical. Also, the clarity on the impact that these 4 aspects have on our overall work life brings in heightened self-awareness and focus that enables us to streamline our job search and identify the ideal job for us.

Reflect on the interviewing experience and focus on ways to improve the job seeking process in a way that can help you keep your spirits high, change your outlook and help maintain a positive mindset which is the foremost requirement from any job seeker.

"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom" – General George Patton

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