Summer Job Search Face your Fears of Stormy Weather and Look for the Rainbow - Hire Imaging

Summer Job Search Face your Fears of Stormy Weather and Look for the Rainbow - Hire Imaging “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” â€" Marie Curie Early last evening, a turbulent cycle of thunderstorms and residual tornadoes swept through my state of Minnesota. A tornado touched down within 15 miles of our home, and our beautiful lake haven turned into a scary scenario with strong winds and torrential rains, followed by an eerie pea-green sky and a continuous thunderous noise. It was quite scary, and my husband, English Cocker and I headed to the lower level to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. When all was over (no damage), the weather turned beautiful, with a lovely rainbow followed by a red sky at nightâ€"sailor’s delight, as the saying goes. Fear can make us lose sight of the fact that any sort of stormâ€"weather or life relatedâ€"always passes at some point. We should prepare for the worst and concentrate on the bestâ€"that rainbow around the corner. For the job seeker, the storm is facing the work of finding a job, rejection and the unknown; the rainbow is opportunities. The rainbow is opportunities For the job seekerâ€"particularly one who has been unemployed for several months or moreâ€"the summer can be particularly stressful. I’ve been working with many clients who’ve lost their jobs, and who are worried about finances and their job outlook. One of the biggest roadblocks for them is their fear that the summer is a bad time to search. They have the perception that no one hires in the summer; that with new grads out hunting combined with qualified out-of-work candidates, the prospects are bleak. This is not true! I love the old acronym for fear: False Expectations Appearing Real! Perception of whether the search is a storm of “yes buts” or a rainbow of “yes I cans” will make all the difference. Here are 10 ways to move through your fear of job seeking in the summer months: Determine that you are going to have a fearless mindset as your first step in finding career opportunities (contacts, companies, openings). If you are feeling afraid, resolve to be a confident campaigner to land a new job this summer. Take personal responsibility for your future. Decide that you are going to concentrate on your strengths and value proposition; and finding that fit. Invest 95% of your time and resources on the solution, not the fear. Commit to finding a meaningful goal, and then creating strategies and action plans to reach it. Put this on paper or screen and refer to it regularly. Track your actions. Stay fit. Eat well and exercise regularly to give yourself energy and a clear mind. Research the market. Then write down the top ten jobs and industries that currently provide the best opportunities. Update your resume and marketing documents. Make sure they reflect your value relative to your goals. Improve your digital, online presence. Are you on LinkedIn? Twitter? Other social media sites? When you Google yourself, are you there? Get help if needed. Ask people in your network (online, employers, associations, volunteerism, neighbors, family, etc.) for names of other people who can help you. Do not ask them for a job. Follow up on their leads (ask for informational interviews) and keep track. Take action to ace interviews! Make sure you’re prepared, because in your new no-fear mindset, you expect that you will get these interviews! Oh…and one of the fearful clients I mentioned…she recently called and said she had faced her fear and asked for an informational interview with one of her contacts through her daughter’s summer soccer league. Result? That interview led to three more job interviews. She is now a project manager for a thriving wholesaler. Grin! The job search, like the tornado, can be very scary. Prepare for the worst; expect the best. And go get that rainbow. Use these long summer days to keep your job search momentum!