I was reading this quick post by Dr. Richard Osibanjo and was reminded of many conversations with friends and colleagues who are starting job searches. Often, they are unhappy with something in their current job – boring work, challenging partners, ineffective strategies, long hours, etc. This unhappiness pervades their thoughts and colors their mood even when we start doing some practice interviewing. I hear clearly that they are running away, not running toward, and as a hiring manager, it’s easy to worry that they will bring that same negative energy to their new team.
I encourage them to start shifting their stance by writing down what they love about their current role while feeling free to add what else they would like in their new role. Use that positive energy and tone to infuse their answers. Invariably, this creates a much more positive tone in the conversations. As a side benefit, if their search takes a while, they are now refocused on the things they like about their role instead of constantly being reminded of the negatives while they continue their search, and so the wait is less burdensome.
Take a moment every day and count your blessings. You’ll be surprised at how many more blessings show up tomorrow.
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