Everyone knows how much life can be a risky business with so many things outside your control. Lots of things can throw us into a fit of jammering fear, like bad health, family issues and lots of other things big and small. However, it is essential for you to face down the kind of fears that arise during a job search if you are to survive what could be a long-term process. Below are listed some of the biggest fears I’ve seen with which clients have to navigate through.

1. You’ll never get a new job: This is usually the first fear out of the box when you have been downsized and the one you must come to grips with right away. Right off the bat many people feel they will never get a good job again, even if the one they just left had become a real negative and was holding them back in their career development. For some, the bad known is always better than the potentially positive unknown. The reality is, even in this terrible market, there are good, solid jobs out there – no doubt about it. But you will probably have to work really hard to get there. If that is daunting to you, then the fear of getting a job is not your issue – the bigger one is getting out of your old comfort zone and doing whatever is necessary to make a successful transition. This is what really deters people – so you must get around this negative perspective. Getting your resume checked out can help get you started.

2. You’re not good enough: Many people may remember that old Saturday Night Live skit with Al Franken, “Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy.” The hook of the self-esteem joke was his repetition of “I’m smart enough, I’m good looking enough, and doggone it, people like me.” But there is still some truth there, in terms of the job search. I’ve been writing resumes for over 18 years and I have almost always worked with clients who really did have what it took to make the transition they wanted – no doubt. The reality is that there is no lack of abilities, but there almost always is a lack of proper “packaging.” So rest assured, job searchers, you really do have everything you need to get the right job – just make sure your resume is clear enough to make it easy for the reader to understand your background.

3. You don’t know where to start: This may be a smaller fear, but it can still deflect you from even thinking about a job transition. The prospect of going through one can, indeed, be so engulfing and threatening that sometimes people will just stay in a bad job until they are actually forced to “leave the nest.” If you are one of these people, and even if you are not, start getting your mind around the idea of putting together a solid job search campaign. Check out the Blog where I list out the several components in a successful campaign. Again, doing the heavy lifting right at the beginning will help make the potentially long process go more quickly – you certainly will have at least a better sense of traction and purpose. With forward motion comes momentum or, as the saying goes, it is easier to steer a moving car than a stationary one.

So many of the fears and successes in life are resolved in the mind before they are overcome in life. If you can win a few mind-games and bring a clearer perspective to the job search, you can flatten out the emotional roller-coaster. Keep in mind that you will not be in a job transition for the rest of your life, no matter how much it feels that way. Really the question is not one of getting a job, but of getting the right job. Focusing on this aspect will give you plenty to sort through in a positive way and earn you the kind of satisfaction that you have done everything you could – no matter what your worst fears may tell you.