Perseverance. Encarta
Dictionary defines perseverance as steady and continued action or belief,
usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or setbacks. Anyone engaged in even a few weeks of job search can certainly claim to have perseverance! It is a thankless job that brings little in the way of immediate reward or gratification.
Often a good day may yield a rejection letter (or two). A ringing phone - over the top excitement! An interview - forget about it - Top Of The WORLD!
But, as this illustration shows, many job seekers choose to pack it in just before reaching the end - their goal! Why do job seekers give up when they obviously need a job (who doesn't)?
Some job seekers give up because they need:
- Goals. Imagine the above minor veering to the right, left, up and down - how likely would he be to even get as far as he did? Not likely at all! Job seeking is a job that requires clear tasks and markers to ensure that you are on the right path and that you have made progress.
- Hope. If you lose hope it will often lead to lack luster go-through-the-motion job search effort that will not yield results! It is hard to keep your spirits up and you may need to enlist friends and family to help. Subscribe to or review upbeat or inspirational articles, newsletters, or emails. Sometimes just a crumb will be enough to keep you going.
- Knowledge. All too often, the unemployed sit in front of the computer submitting résumé after résumé in a panicked frenzy. Take a breath AND a few minutes to research the job and/or company! Try to match your information to what the employer is looking for so that you will be one of the few chosen for an interview. It is worth the time.
- Skills. This is a broad area and can apply to missing skills necessary to obtain employment in your chosen field or to job seeking skills such as writing résumé and cover letters, interviewing, and the like. Research your field or industry to determine if you need to beef up skills in any areas. Read articles on job searching and interviewing daily. Of course, I would always recommend consulting a career expert for help!:-)
- Support. Many times, job seekers are already feeling inadequate or worse because you may not be contributing financially to the family. This makes it hard to ask for help. But, you can't do this alone. Seek support outside of the family. Tap into friends, ex-coworkers, church or community members. You need someone to bounce ideas off of and to listen to you once in a while.
- Network. Either you don't know how to network, are too demoralized to do so, or don't see the value in it. Regardless, this is a must do and can fast-track your job search to your next job if you make the time and effort to reach out to and maintain contact with others on a regular basis. Join a group at church, in the community, your local job service office, or volunteer to get started. But start!
- Creativity. You may be putting blinders on and may be missing opportunities because of it! If you are of a mind that you must have such and such job or pay before considering a job you may be missing out on some great opportunities! Take the time to buy an actual paper (or look at every career builder job within a 15 mile radius from you) and look at every opportunity. If you do this periodically you will have a better idea of what jobs are available and you may discover a new career path that is perfect for you!
- Labor Market. You may own a house. You may be invested in your community. You may have family and friends nearby. But if there are no jobs, you may also want to consider moving to where there are jobs. Think about locales to which you would like to move or relatives and friends that live away. Search for jobs in those areas periodically to see if it makes sense to start a job search elsewhere in addition to a local job search.
Persevere!
SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS ARTICLE
Hanukkah started 12/8/12 this year. I am not Jewish and don’t celebrate Hanukkah, but have always been surrounded by friends who observe. This year, I thought I would post an article each day of the Celebration. Although Hanukkah means Dedication, it seems that it also means more. Each article will highlight a meaningful ideal that I feel can be related to either the Celebration of Hanukkah or career planning and job search.
I will kindle one light on the menorah by sharing the titles of each article theme or candle:
1. Dedication
2. Gratitude
3. Charity
4. Faith
5. Hope
6. Perseverance
7. Focus
8. Triumph
If you would like to learn more about Hanukkah or Chanukah, here is a very straightforward article that I found helpful: Short Article on Chanukah.
Other articles that may be of interest:
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