After thinking about the Thanksgiving season, I have been reflecting on some key similarities between Christmas, work in general and the job search. As is generally accepted, this is a hard time to be in transition and looking for a new position – budgets are tight, self-confidence is probably low and there can be a distinct lull in focus and motivation. Now is the time to take stock about the positives and readjust your perspective in a way that allows you to keep moving forward, despite external circumstances.
1. Giving: This season has come to mean giving of yourself, of your time, talent and treasure, to someone you know and love, or to those less fortunate. People who are givers and not takers overall are a more attractive asset to any company’s growth, and they are generally more fun to be around anyway. Who in their right mind doesn’t appreciate the person who is ready to pitch in and not complain, to do what is necessary to promote the common good? Rather, it is the politic-players who may win in the short-run, but who can’t, because they focus on the wrong things, really play a large part in bringing success to everyone.
2. Community: A poet once observed that we are not islands, doomed to always be alone in life and cut off from society. Rather, we are all connected to those who have come to make up the vast matrix of our lives – family, friends, colleagues, direct reports, customers, bosses and others. You have something, indeed, a lot of things to contribute to the general good and growth of your present or potential company. You have proved it before, as your resume should show, but now you must demonstrate your capabilities again in order to win that job. Like George Bailey, you will play an integral role in your life-setting.
3. Thankfulness: It is essential to cultivate, as the phrase goes, an attitude of gratitude for what you actually do have. It pays to take a moment and add it up. Odds are you have your health, your family, your friends and other pluses, though maybe not all at once, to help get you through the transition. Keep in mind, if you allow frustration and disappointment to flourish unchecked, they act like an acid and wear away your focus, stamina and motivation. But thankfulness, hope in the face of adversity and a healthy ability to laugh at yourself will go a long way toward having the right attitude and making you the kind of person any right-thinking company would want to hire.
Here’s to hoping for a swift and positive transition into a good job that fits well and where you can play an integral role in the growth of both the company’s success and your own professional impact. Be generous and thankful in the scope of your community, and your time will come and your transition completed successfully.
