You'll Never Get a Job

You'll Never Get a Job
I’m sure when you read the title of this email you thought, “What?! Is she serious? That’s terrible! Why would J.T. say that?” – at least I’m hoping that was your reaction! Now, I want you to imagine you are standing in front of someone supremely confident. A person who outwardly appears they have their act together. They smile at you and say, “You will NEVER get a job because you are...” Then, fill in the rest of the sentence with every negative thing you say to yourself about why you haven’t found a new job yet. How does that make you feel? I hope it makes you angry. I hope you imagine yourself responding by saying, “Who are YOU to say I will never get a job,” because that’s the reaction you should be having. Why? Because nobody, absolutely NOBODY has the right to define the ending to your career story…including you. And sadly, the person most likely doing this very thing to you is the person you look at in the mirror. Here’s why... We are our own worst critics. Especially, when we are failing to achieve something we are working on that we see as vital to our happiness. And let’s face it - nothing is more important to us than being able to say with pride and satisfaction what we do for a living. We are obsessed with doing work we think others will respect. That’s why we are so darn hard on ourselves when we can’t find that ideal position. It’s time to stand up to your inner naysayer! In all the years I’ve been coaching, I know one thing to be true: the ability to find career satisfaction on our own terms (even in the worst economy!) lies within us. We have to believe we deserve to find this satisfaction. We also have to let go of the toxic concept of finding work that impresses others. Don’t believe me? Then just ask any person you know who likes their work, and more importantly, likes themselves. They’ll tell you it comes down to the stories they tell in their heads. They like the work they do. They derive happiness from it, regardless of what it pays, what the title is, or what others think of it. NOTE: If you don’t have at least four people in your life you admire for being truly satisfied with their career choice, then you need to start networking. Surrounding yourself with people who have this type of happiness is vital to teaching you how to find the same. This week, ask yourself,"Am I guilty of denying myself the career success and satisfaction I want?" If so, then it’s time to start working through this crisis of confidence. If you're a CareerHMO.com member, I encourage you to e-mail me and share your true fears. Own up to being too hard on yourself. Let’s talk through and re-write the script in your head. I promise, as soon as you start changing this mindset, the sooner we’ll start to see opportunities for you to grow professionally. J.T. O’Donnell is founder and CEO of CAREEREALISM.com and CareerHMO.com.Image from Gunnar Pippel/Shutterstock
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