Out of a Job? Don’t Panic!

By Faye Katz, Resume Writer

No one is ever going to hire me.  I will never be able to get another job  — not with my limited experience or lack of education.  There is so much competition out there and I am under-qualified.  I’m doomed for a life of failure.  How am I going to pay my bills? I’m going to have to sell my car, my house and move into my parents’ house!  This is awful.  How am I ever going to cope?

STOP RIGHT THERE.  That’s enough.  Granted, when you need to find a job there can be a lot of uncertainty and some things may be beyond your control.  But your self-talk is something you do control, and it has a huge effect on your outlook and your mood.  So, calm down, take a deep breath and take charge.

How? Well, first, you may want to try this visualization technique: Imagine yourself putting all your negative thoughts about your job search or your qualifications or your future into helium balloons that you are holding onto.  One by one, let go of the balloons.  Watch them as they float into the sky and vanish from sight.  You can do this any time a defeatist thought enters your mind.

Now what?  Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.

Yes.  You have good skills.  Remind yourself of what they are. You are smart and capable, and you will make a good employee.  Maybe you’ve already been successful in a previous job.  Someone will hire you in the right time.  In the meantime, you will survive.

Go about your day with a confidence in yourself and your ability to find gainful employment, no matter what barriers there may be.  Put yourself in good form.  Be optimistic.  Make a list of all your strengths and believe in yourself.   At the same time, be pro-active. Take any action you can to help your situation.  Think about possible solutions that will provide you with income while you search for a job, and make sure you plan something to do to keep busy every day.

Why bother being optimistic? Sometimes it takes a lot of effort.  It’s so much easier to think dark, gloomy, pessimistic thoughts.

An optimistic attitude actually works and can even be transformative.  If you feel positive about your skills and about the future, that will manifest itself in self-confidence and poise, exactly what employers like to see in prospective employees.  Your positive thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

However, when you think depressing thoughts, you walk around with a look of despair written all over your face.  That means that every person you meet sees your distress and your lack of confidence.  Who will want to recommend you as an employee or offer you a job, when you feel and act like a loser?  With this scenario, you create your very own nightmare.

“Think good, and it will be good,” is truly a good adage to live by.    

Straighten up your shoulders, be confident, smile — and watch the job offers roll in.

By Faye Katz, Resume Writer, Career Services, Jewish Community Services, Baltimore, MD

JCS professional career coaches help people find and maintain employment, whether in one’s chosen field or in building a new career.  JCS Career Services also offers resume and cover letter services; workshops on networking, interviewing and other important skills; Job Search Network groups; Business and Entrepreneurial Meetups, and services for employers.  For more information, call 410-466-9200 or visit www.jcsbaltimore.org.

JCS offers a full range of career services.  For more information about JCS Career services click here or call 410-466-9200.