How A Negative Attitude Affects Your Job Search
by Deborah Brown-Volkman, contributing columnist

Are you going through the motions in your job search even though you are telling your family, friends, and yourself that you are fully committed to the search?

Or, have you been tirelessly looking for a job but not getting the results you want?

Maybe you are working hard, but your attitude is keeping your from working smart.

In many areas, the job market is starting to come back and new opportunities are opening up. If you think about it, your work life spans many years; 30, 40, or 50 years, so being out of work for this moment in time will pass and only be a smaller piece of a bigger picture. Please keep that in perspective. This too shall pass. I speak with many executives who are out of work and then they get jobs. They all said to me that if they knew then what they knew now (that they would get another job and everything would be ok), they would have said nicer things to themselves during their job search. In life, things work out in the end. And if things do work out, (and they usually do in one form or another), how you handle the bumps are up to you.

It does not matter how long your brother, neighbor, sister, or the person you overheard talking on train or at a restaurant has been out of work. What does matter is what YOU are doing and the actions YOU are taking to get yourself a job.

How important is a good attitude? Very. And a good attitude cannot be faked. You either have it or you don't. And if you don't have it, you can get it.

So How Can You Create A Positive Attitude? Follow These
Steps:

1. Take Charge Of Your Attitude.

If you have a bad attitude, you can change it if you want to. I emphasize the word WANT. You got to where you are in your career by saying I WANT. Examples are:
"I want to run the department." "I want to work for this company." "I want a promotion." "I want to make more money." You can do the same with your attitude by saying you WANT a good attitude. A bad attitude is not something you are stuck with. It's something you can work on by choosing to do so.

2. Let Go Of What Doesn't Matter.

It does not matter what you did or did not do in your last position, in your last interview, on your last resume, or during your last interaction with a recruiter. In all likelihood, you did not fail and you have no reason to feel guilty for anything you have done up to this point. If you did fail in some way, learn from your mistakes, and put your new knowledge to work for you. Focus on the positive and you will find the positive. If you let the little things drag you down, (especially the things you cannot do anything
about) you will take yourself out of the game before it begins.

3. Spend Time With You.

When you were employed and working very hard, from time to time, you said to yourself (and others) that you wanted time off or needed a break. Well, now you have one. Use this time wisely. I am not saying to stop your job search and go on an extended vacation (unless you can afford to). I am saying to take time for you. Spend time with family and friends. Go to the gym, work-out, meditate, spend time with God, etc. These are the things that will put you into a good frame of mind so you can maintain momentum and focus in your job search.

Attitude is crucial to getting a job. During an interview you will not be sitting with a potential boss or a recruiter unless they think you can do the job.
They've read your resume and they believe you are qualified. What they are looking for now is attitude.
Are you a positive person? Can they work with you everyday? Do you have passion and a hunger to be there?
This is all attitude and you can get your winning attitude back.

So what do you say? You only have one life to live so it might as well be a life you love!

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Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a career and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers, who are out of work or overworked. Deborah is the author of "Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To Discover Your Ultimate Profession," that can be found on amazon.com. To Learn More Visit: http://www.surpassyourdreams.com, send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com or call (631) 874-2877.