Attitude is Everything

      I recently read the book  "Attitude is Everything  10 Life-Changing Steps to Turning Attitude into Action" by the late Keith Harrell.   Reading motivational books such as autobiographies and self -help books are a great source and inexpensive way to maintain a positive outlook while addressing a life challenge.  
     The 10 steps that the author discusses are:

1. Understanding the Power of Attitude
2. Take Control of Your Life
3. Practice Self-Awareness
4. Re-frame Your Bad Attitude
5. Find Your Purpose and Passion
6. Be Pre-Active
7. Discover How to Motivate Yourself
8. Build Supportive Relationships
9. See Change as an Opportunity
10. Leave a Lasting Legacy

      The fact that you are reading this Blog indicates that you are addressing several of the steps.  Please note that there is a significant difference between pre-active and pro-active behavior.  A Google search of these terms indicates that they are 2 of the the 4 methods in which organizations plan.  Those methods are: reactive, inactive, pro-active and pre-active.  Pro and pre-active planning are necessary to facilitate a career change.  In the book, the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People the need to be pro-active was stressed and fully described. 
      How you perceive change is extremely important.  If the loss of your job is seen as a negative then you are less likely to want to seek employment elsewhere.  Why?  Because somewhere in your mind you believe:

• you will never find another job or position as good as the one you had
• that job was the only type work you can do
• you deserve to be unemployed

However, if you can see the benefits of not having the job then you are consider other options such as:

• being able to explore other career options
• going back to school
• re-organizing your lifestyle
• having more time to pursue your personal goals

     There is the old saying "Smile and the whole world smiles with you but, when you cry  you cry alone."  By having a positive attitude, you are more likely to gain and maintain the support of people while you seek other employment.  You will appear more confident, professional as well as being percieved as being a team player during your interviews.  These are all positive attributes that any employer will want!

I am my best instructor.

     Say it again - I am my best instructor.  This statement is only true if you can review your experiences objectively and learn from them. 
     By objectively I mean two things.  First you need to recognize and accept what is within your control and what is not. Children think magically and assume that they can magically change things.  Some people play the blame game.  Nothing is ever their fault.  If they don't have a job it is not because they lack job skills but because the economy is bad.   
     Recognizing how you have improved your performance during your job search is a critical skill.  After the interview, you should ask yourself questions like were you prepared for the interview, did you arrive on time, have a copy of your resume, have information on the people you are using for references.  Did you have questions for your interviewer and answer questions in a brief but complete manner?  Did you address the interviewer by name?  Did you get the business cards or names of other people that were present at the interview?  If you could do the day over what would you change?  What would you leave the same?    
       Armed with this information, how are you going to change?  Perhaps, you could do mock interviews?  Can you brainstorm with a friend?  Could you make a check list of things that you should bring? If you believe you didn't answer question satisfactorily perhaps you could reword your answer in your thank you letter?  Perhaps, you could review the interview questions and develop answers. 
       Each experience can make you better but only if you take responsibility for things that are within your control.  But how do you decide if something is within your control?  I  suggest that you make absolute statements.  Since the statement  "Absolutely, no one is being hired." is not true then you know there is something that you can do become hired.  You can also ask people that recently found employment for feedback. 
       So not only are you your best instructor but you are your best student.