Stop Taking Your Career Personally
by Deborah Brown-Volkman, contributing columnist

Not getting what you want in your career these days?

Are the resumes you've been sending not getting a response? Are your phone calls or e-mail not getting replies? Are your attempts to leave a job that may be eliminated not making a difference? Do you wish the recession would go away?

Today's job market is tough. Demand for jobs is high and supply is low. It is easy to become frustrated and disappointed when you are working hard and not seeing
results. It is ok to be discouraged. It is not ok to let your discouragement stand in your way.

If you are upset about your career on a daily basis, you are probably taking it personally. You are making what you believe are NO's mean that you did something
wrong. The truth is that the people on the other end of your e-mail or voice messages are just as overwhelmed as you. They have less people on their team (since employees like you are gone) and they are having trouble keeping up with all they have to do. In many cases, they are not getting back to you because they simply do not have the time to respond. Or in other words, it is not about you.

So What Can You Do To Shift Your Thinking So That You Can Be Motivated, Focused, And On Track?

1. Leave Yourself Out Of It

No response does not mean your resume was prepared
incorrectly, you are too old, you don't have the proper
experience, you don't know the right people, etc.
No response means that the person you tried to contact
did not get back to you. Stop making it mean more than
that.

2. Acknowledge That The Responses Stopped When You
Stopped

The only difference between you and the people who
are getting what they want, is they kept moving and
you didn't. It probably began innocently. You became
frustrated, so you took a break. When you took a break,
things started to slow down. So, you became resigned
and you told yourself there was no point in trying
since it wouldn't make a difference anyway. Soon, your
goal was too big, too hard, or too overwhelming. Then,
you stopped completely or your efforts became hollow
and unproductive. Take responsibility for stopping.
This is the first step to starting again.

3. Get Back Into Action

If you recognize that people are busy with other
responsibilities, and they are not rejecting you
personally, you can begin moving again. Just like in
sales, contacting people is a numbers game. Trust that
sooner or later the numbers will work in your favor.
If you wait until you feel like getting back into
action, you will be waiting a long time. It does not
matter how you feel. Get back into action, because you
promised yourself you would.

4. Use Technology To Stay On Track

Handle your e-mail correspondence with an autoresponder
program such as http://www.quickpaypro.com or
http://www.getresponse.com. Create your messages up
front, and set the number of days you want the program
to wait before it sends out the next. Companies use
autoresponders all the time to send repeated messages
to their customers. In addition, use your Palm Pilot or
Microsoft Outlook to schedule follow-up calls. Write
down the names of people you have to call, so you don't
have to keep all this information in your head. Each
day, glance at whom you have to call, and call them.
It really can be that simple.

5. Stop Dealing With Your Career By Yourself

Do you want your pride to stand in the way of a career
you love? I meet too many people who believe they are
deficient because they cannot tackle obstacles on their
own. Life is about getting results through people. It
is not about overcoming challenges alone. There are
people in your life who want to contribute to you.
Will you find the courage to let them?

The best approach you can take is an objective one. Stop listening to the reasons that you can't have what you want. Focus on what you want, and don't stop until
you get it.

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 is a noted Career and Mentor Coach that shows Entrepreneurs, Executives, Professionals, and Coaches how to transition into careers they love, excel in the careers they have now, start their own businesses, and find time for themselves. She is the author of the "21-Day Career Empowerment" program. This 21-day e-mail program gives participants the insight, clarity, and knowledge to either choose their current position or their next career To Learn More Visit: http://www.surpassyourdreams.com , send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com or call (516) 432-2440.