Externals Under My Control and Externals Not Under My Control.

"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control and which have to do with the choices I actually control." - Epictetus

When I read this quote from this ancient Stoic, I was reminded about how much emotion, time and effort is spent by jobseekers on matters they cannot control. I constantly help jobseekers through the emotional difficulties of dealing with things they can't control, worrying about and wringing their hands over things that are totally beyond their influence.

It's important to remind jobseekers what they can control and ask them to focus on these issues rather than worrying about things that are beyond them. Here's a primer:

• Attitude… This is probably the most important issue a job seeker can control. The first step in developing a positive attitude is to be aware that it is the first thing one can control. For every one positive thing that happens in a job search, there are going to be 14 negative things. That's just a plain fact! Constantly reinforcing a positive attitude with prayer, spiritual reinforcement, motivational reading and being around positive people makes a phenomenal difference.
• Activity to get interviews... Probably the biggest frustration with most job seekers who are seeking a job full-time is the frustration of not being able to get interviews. They feel like if they can get the interview, they can perform well on it. It is getting the interview that is the major difficulty. If people relegate themselves to simply sending resumes to job postings, their probability of getting an interview is ridiculously slim. People have to develop a systematic approach to contacting all kinds of people in order to get interviews. (I discuss this in detail, www.jobsearchsolution.com)
• Taking any interview they can get... Many candidates eliminate the opportunity to get an interview based on what they hear or think about the company or particular job. "I'll talk to anybody that will listen," has to be the mantra.
• Massive action... Treating a job search like it was a job. There's no such thing as a "passive" job search.
• Interviewing well... Most job seekers focus on what they "want" in a job rather than what they can do "for" a prospective employer. They say stupid things and forget to put themselves in the shoes of the employer. They forget to "sell" themselves
• They don't ask for the job... I'm continually amazed when I asked candidates, "Did you ask for the job?" That they say something like, "Well, kind of… I asked what was the next step?" That is not asking for the job.
• Lousy negotiations... Those candidates operate out of fear of loss rather than vision and again, they don't adopt the attitude that "We're all in this together… How can we work it out?"

As Epictetus finishes his quote, "Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own."

ABOUT TONY BESHARA

Owner & President

Babich & Associates

Tony Beshara is the owner and president of Babich & Associates, established in 1952 and the oldest placement and recruitment service in Texas. It is consistently one of the top contingency placement firms in the DFW area, and has been recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in DFW” by the Dallas Business Journal. He has been a professional recruiter since 1973 and has personally found jobs for more than 10,500 individuals. He sits behind a desk every day, working the phone literally seven hours of the twelve hours a day, making close to 200 calls a day. He is in the trenches on a day-to-day basis. Tony has personally interviewed more than 26,000 people on all professional levels and has worked with more than 23,000 hiring authorities. Babich & Associates has helped more than 100,000 people find jobs using Tony’s process. Tony is one of the most successful placement and recruitment professionals in the United States. 

Tony received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from St. Louis University in 1973. 

The second edition of his best-selling book, “The Job Search Solution” The Ultimate System for Finding a Great job NOW!”  came out in January of 2012. He also created a 45 hour online program about how to find a job, www.The Job Search Solution.com. Tony’s second best seller, “ACING  The Interview”, answers almost any question regarding interviewing in today’s erratic job market. “Unbeatable Resumes,” discusses resumes for the present, unique employment market. His latest book for job seekers, “Powerful Phrases for Successful Interviews,” published in February of 2014, offers 400 ideal phases for every interviewing situation. His newest book, co-authored with Rich Lavinski, the managing partner of E. 57th Street Partners, “100,000 Successful Hires, The Art, Science and Luck of Successful Hiring” is about the “other side” of the desk… advice for the hiring authority. It, too, is a bestseller.

Tony recent TED Talk, “The 10 Principles of Loving Your Career and Your Job” was presented in October of 2015 at Mountain View College in Dallas. It can be viewed in its entirety on Tony’s YouTube channel.

 He is a frequent guest on the Dr. Phil Show, offering Dr. Phil’s guests advice on the job search process. He is also a frequent guest/expert on various local and nationally televised business shows, including those on Fox Business News. Tony also hosts a weekday radio show, The Job Search Solution on The Word KWRD-FM, 100.7 FM, every weekday evening from 8:30pm to 9:00pm. Tony and his beautiful wife of 51 years, Chris, have four grown sons. 

Interviews & Appearances Contact:

Tony Beshara

Phone: 214-823-9999

Email: [email protected]