Matthew’s Situation: I work in tech and I’ve not been enjoying my current role. I don’t like the management at the place that I work, the pay is not great and I am not at a graduate level position, which I am qualified for. I’ve been trying to secure a new role for over a year now and I’ve been to about twenty interviews, but I am still not being selected.
Matthew’s Question: What do I do now? I’ve been trying so hard and this just isn’t working.
Deborah’s Answer:
Notice What IS Working
Matthew was able to recognize and acknowledge that he was working in a highly competitive field, where there were often over 100 resumes received for the roles that he was applying for.
He also had the self-awareness to realize that he was making more progress now than before. He was having more success with phone interviews than he had in the past and had even come very close to securing a new role recently. Also, he had taken part in some great volunteer work and had been featured on the news.
What Are You Doing Now?
Ask yourself what your job search consists of at the moment. What actions are you taking? Matthew realized that when he first began his job search he did a lot more networking. But, he became discouraged when this activity didn’t land him a suitable role, so now, he was just concentrating on looking at job websites. It seemed like a less time-consuming option to him.
Yet, that option meant that he ended up going to a lot more interviews that were the best fit and led to him not being hired. He was constantly getting his hopes up for each interview and the opportunity at a new, better-fitting role. I asked him whether he would consider trying some networking again as a way of job-hunting. I suggested that he do this in an experimental way – to try it for a while and see what happened.
Check Your Attitude
I asked Matthew what his approach was to new interviews now. He said that he was still positive about them. When prodded further, I asked if this is how he looked on the outside and also how he felt on the inside. It can be hard to keep facing rejection, which can affect how we turn up in new situations, like interviews. Matthew, to his credit, had not let all the rejections get to him and still felt genuinely positive about going to new interviews.
However, this resilience in the face of rejection is not always the case, and a mindset shift is something you can work on, either by yourself or with the aid of a coaching professional.
What’s Your Best Guess?
Give some thought to why you think you are not securing the jobs that you want.
Matthew had a disability that he felt might be a factor in him getting hired or not. He knew that he was capable and could do the work that he wanted. Yes, it’s a sad state of affairs in the world in instances where this is the case. But, I assured him that the company that does hire him, will do so because they recognize that he is valuable and it will be a better company to work for than one that does have prejudice.
When some people answer the question about why they are not getting their desired outcome, they may come across limiting beliefs about themselves, such as ‘I am not good enough’ or ‘To have a good job, I must make six-figures a year’. These are deep-seated thoughts that appear as facts to us. But, like the way we handle rejection, a shift in mindset and thinking and how we view ourselves in the world is really where the work is at, and can be assisted through coaching work.
Get Clear on What You Want
The plan we made was for Matthew to explore networking again as a way of finding the right new employer for him.
Before beginning networking again, it helped Matthew to get really clear on the kind of role that he wanted, so that he could speak about it with confidence. I also suggested he show genuine interest in others when networking, and when they asked about him, that this knowledge of what he was really looking for in a career would come into play.
Also, I recommended he write a list of all the aspects of his new ideal job or about an ideal day in his new role, from start to finish. This ideal day should be written in the present tense. (The ideal day exercise comes from the author Barbara Sher and is taught as part of Martha Beck’s coach training) Then, read this list daily to continue to be inspired and focused on the job search.
Matthew realized that his job search had stalled because he was in the pattern of using the same techniques over and over even when they were not working. He was open to giving networking a try again with his improved self-confidence (he had worked a lot on this himself to cope with the rejections) and with a clear vision of what he wanted going forward.
What are you doing over and over that isn’t working? What actions are you discounting that could help you secure the right job for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Coach Deborah:
Client Feedback on Working with Deborah in a Cardy Career Coaching program:
“I walked away from my work with Deborah with a list of career themes, which has guided me with having conversations with potential employers. And I can see how it will continue to guide me as I build my career, through the drawing and enforcing of boundaries for what I will and will not deal with.” – Just Get Me Pointed in the Right Direction Client
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