Where Do You Stand?

Let’s face it, each day we are inundated with news about the struggling economy, joblessness, and rising costs of goods and services. Each new day brings another story about a company that has laid off part of its workforce, or warns of the looming possibility. In worst-case scenarios staff reductions may have hit you personally. So where do you stand?

When a job loss is suffered personally, it is almost by default that feelings of anger, resentment and worry will occur. Consider that these feelings are protective by nature and designed by our “self” as an immediate defense mechanism to survive the traumatic experience. What is done with these feelings and how they are managed is what will make a difference. Accepting the situation as what’s so and dealing with it is a great place to start! The job that was once there is no longer there…that’s what’s so. What happens next?

Get in action! Take control over the situation and become cause in the matter and not at its affect. There is a choice here actually, and the choice is to wallow in the circumstances that have presented themselves or to stand in the possibility of a new future and go after it. There is real power in the second choice, and it has the job seeker show up to interviews as confident, determined, responsible, and appropriate for the job. Being cause in the matter of the situation at hand will empower the job search even when perceived obstacles are in the way. If you are that life stinks, everything is doomed, and there is no hope, then that is exactly what you will communicate to any prospective employer when you are interviewing- be it verbal or unspoken.

As a recruiter at GameRecruiter, I have the pleasure of speaking with dozens of people daily, and I have developed a talent for hearing what I like to call “unsaid communication”. The unsaid communication can also be labeled a background of concern, or at its most elementary stage, it might be referred to as a mood. Regardless of what it’s called, it’s always present, and yes, I do mean always! The words being spoken can be saying one thing, and the “unsaid communication” could quite often be saying something completely contrary. What’s important to know here is that your unspoken communication is received as loudly as the spoken. When I speak with someone searching for a job for an amount of time that they feel is too long, I can hear the resignation and cynicism in their communication. It is not my intention to downplay the struggles that are faced after losing employment; however, these emotions and feelings must be confronted and replaced with motivation and determination if the intention is to interview as a good candidate.

In summation, a job seeker that begins a new career search with the context being “There are no jobs out there for me and the economy stinks”, is likely to go home with proof that the economy stinks because they didn’t find a job. My mantra is this: “Life is a game that you are playing like it or not. You can either get on the field and play it or sit in the stands and watch it pan out. Either choice will work, but regardless you are in the game until it’s finished. If you get on the field and play a while you might just win!”