Regaining confidence for job search

As a career coach I often see clients presenting with reduced confidence following the loss of a job. In some small way, we think that if we had done something differently we may not have lost our jobs and hence place some blame for the redundancy on ourselves. This resultant lack of confidence can hold people back and therefore impede an effective job search 

There are a few practical ways to rebuild confidence when you are between jobs:

1. It was your job that was made redundant, not you - Reflect on the fact that the redundancy is not personal or vindictive, it's usually just a financial decision. It's not about something you've done or not done. Organisations - even very profitable ones - are always looking to reduce costs. 

One of the first things I do with clients in this situation is to ensure that they avoid saying  'I was made redundant', but rather 'My ROLE was made redundant'. This depersonalises the reason or reasons for losing our jobs and is one of the key ways to establish confidence in job search. 

2. Many are affected by job loss - When running training courses I often ask if attendees are related to or know anyone else who's been through job search. Most arms go up. Individuals who've lost their jobs are not bad, lazy, stupid or incompetent...Loyal, smart and very competent people (like yourself) also lose their jobs. 

3. Reflect on what you did well in past roles - When working with clients on their resume, I spend a good amount of time to ensure that they come up with specific achievements to highlight how well they've performed previously. Very often, a client will remark, 'I did some pretty good stuff didn't I?'. Absolutely! In our downtrodden unemployed state, we often forget the great things we've done and simply by recalling this, it can provide an instant uplift in confidence.

4. Networking (i.e. Meeting people) - Sitting in front of your computer opening 'Thanks but no thanks' emails and finding no suitable jobs among the many thousands of roles advertised is a quick and easy way to lose confidence and motivation. The solution? Get out and meet people! Simply by connecting with people who are willing to help you, provides an excellent way to reinforce your worth and value as a person and as a professional.

5. Interviews - When you have a great resume that showcases your achievements you will get to more interviews. This provides the opportunity to market yourself while also determining if the job and company on offer suits you...Yet another opportunity to bolster confidence. While you won't get a job from every interview you attend, it tells you your background is positively resonating with the market.

6. Keeping busy! - I also encourage my clients to break their job search period into 3 areas and to ensure they use a calendar or planner to map things out each week. These three areas are:

• Time for job search - Quality rather than quantity! I don't subscribe to job search being a full-time job and it's better to spend 3-5 quality hours per day on job search. Why? Because job search while between jobs comes with an additional emotional load which most of us can't carry around all day. Therefore, we also need to spend time for...
• Friends and family - Our loved ones support us and provide encouragement while also reminding us what is truly important in life. We can be ourselves and enjoy these moments for what they are.
• Time for self - Most often neglected simply because we feel guilty to take any time off while job searching ('I can't relax, I've got to find a job!'). Job search becomes all-consuming and wears us down, therefore, dedicate time to something you enjoy, be it a pastime or hobby or even self-development. In essence, something you can do to 'switch off' and temporarily negate some of the worries associated with being between jobs.

So, if you find yourself between roles, reflect on the above to improve your confidence. Don't forget that you are still the same great contributor you were before losing your job, but take the time to remind yourself of this as needed. Use this confidence to get out into the market and do your thing! Good luck! ______________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed this post. In the meantime, feel free to review some of my other  posts (below), purchase my book ('Fired to Hired, The Guide to Effective Job Search for the Over 40s') or visit my website www.thecareermedic.com 

Other posts by Paul:

Technology and the mature-age worker

Is LinkedIn a haven for closet narcissists?

What essential piece is your resume missing?

Is leadership as dead as a dodo?

Get your 2016 job search off to a flying start!

A little name-dropping goes a looong way in job search!

Leave these 2 items off your resume at your peril

Should I include interests and hobbies on my resume?

Launching a new book: 'Fired to Hired, The Guide to Effective Job Search for the Over 40s'

How to effectively negotiate a starting salary 

Lost your mojo for job search?

I'm glad I've lost my job 3 times!

3 resume tweaks you should consider

Why am I not getting to interviews

Keeping it real on LinkedIn

6 tips to work effectively with recruiters

The most important question you'll answer in a job interview 

A winning formula for your cover letter

How would Wally ensure he's found on LinkedIn?

How do managers prepare for interviews?

The 9 mistakes interviewers should NOT make

Is it wrong to enjoy the holiday season while unemployed?

New year, new job and other resolutions

12 biggest mistakes made during job search

10 things not to do before and during an interview (over 60,000 views to date!)

Use 'Seeking next opportunity' if you are not serious about job search

The Career Medic - Taking the worry out of job search for the over