Attitude is Everything

No Stress!

There is a great article in yesterday’s New York Times about the stress a person feels after losing a job and how that stress can help sink the job search process. 

This reminded me of my own job search stress.  I had been unemployed for a few months and my stress was growing daily.  One day out of the blue, a recruiter called and what seemed like the last company in town that was hiring had called them and wanted to see me.  I sweated through three interviews and sat on pins and needles for every piece of news, assuming the worst during periods of silence.  Finally, the day for my fourth and last interview came.  I was so stressed out I drove right by the company, and arrived a couple of minutes late.  Nervous and assuming I was cooked, I soldiered on and got the job inspite of myself.

So I understand how stress, anxiety, depression, a sense of self doubt and all the rest can play havoc on the job search.  These are real feelings and they shouldn’t be ignored.  But they can be managed. 

My advice is to ask others to help you:  friends, colleagues, family, healthcare professionals, recruiters, job search experts and anyone else you may respect.  In many cases, just talking about your feelings can help enormously.  When you’re in need and you ask for help, help can come from the most unlikely places.