Job seekers – Are you in invoking the law of subtraction in your job search?

You all have probably heard of the “Law of Attraction.”

We are naturally attracted to attractive people not meaning necessarily movie-star quality people but the people whose personalities brighten a room, the person you naturally call when you want to chat, and the person you enjoy spending time with on a regular basis.

Bad attitudes in the job search

Prior to the popularity of social media, the job seeker with the “bad attitude” was likely to annoy his family members, neighbours, and any remaining friends as he complained about how bad it was, ranted about no jobs, or chastised the last person who answered his call at the employment agency.

But it was a relatively small pool and it was unlikely that many people who were in a position to hire him would hear his whines or attacks.

Today, however, we have entered into the world of online conversations connecting us with individuals around the world.

Some job seekers seem to be clueless as to who may be listening to their trash talking of former employers, the government, and potential interview opportunities.

Ranting about HR policies, interviewers, and other people who are now hired may momentarily lift the job seekers distress but the long range potential for the “Law of Subtraction” to take over the job search is growing with every angry word.

How can you create an attraction-based job search?

• Save the rants for people you trust. Use the back side of Facebook or Twitter’s direct messages to talk to a select few people when the stress piles up.
• Stay offline when you are overwhelmed. You’ve heard of “don’t tweet drunk?” Don’t tweet angry either!
• Engage in positive activity. Volunteering for something you enjoy or have talent in can do many things for you. Helping others has been shown to make us feel good. You will be networking with others and new doors open when we network.
• Think about what you say before you hit send or enter. If you hold off even a couple of minutes before you post that status or send that tweet you may change your mind.
• Read positive books, listen to inspiring music, and get exercise. None of those three have to cost money. Visit the library or grab a book you always meant to read off your own shelf. Find music on the web or on the air that you enjoy. And take a walk or do some in house exercise.
• Make sure your resume and cover letters are value-infused. Sending out resumes simply listing job duties will add to your distress. Take the time to learn how to create accomplishment-focused career marketing strategies to sell your value to the next employer.

When you turn that bad attitude around, you will find opportunities starting to come your way.

These aren’t going to be easy changes for everyone but it will help to make you the candidate people are seeking instead of the one they wish would go away.

This post is by Julie Walraven, an experienced resume writer and career marketing strategist.

Julie is Founder of  Design Resumes. Read the original post and the insightful comments here: Job seeker, are you invoking the law of subtraction?

 

Tagged as: resume tips