| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
Tips for Handling On the Job Setbacks
If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience some type of setback. And whether your pet project is canceled, your performance review is a bust, you get turned down for a promotion, or you're asked to leave the company, setbacks hurt big time. Nevertheless, if you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won't be hurting anyone except yourself. Worrying until you get sick, abusing drugs or denying that you've reached an impasse won't help either. The best strategy for making a comeback is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Here are some other tips you might find helpful: * Remind yourself that in a month, this will be a memory. When setbacks happen, the tendency is to feel like your bad luck will last forever. By keeping in mind that the situation is temporary, you'll be strong enough emotionally to take the necessary steps to overcome your misfortune. * Recognize that a setback does not make you a total failure. Treat your setback as the isolated incident that it is. Regardless of what happened, chances are it's not going to significantly affect your life one way or the other. And I don't know any successful people who've learned the right way to do things without trying several wrong ones first. * Care for your self-esteem. Your identity and self-worth are too precious to leave in the hands of the volatile business world. Your job does not define who you are. You existed before it and will exist after. In the meantime, rather than focusing on your own inadequacies, remind yourself that you are doing the best you can under the circumstances. * Reach out to your support systems. During a crisis, it always helps to know you are not alone and that you are justified in feeling the way you do. Instead of withdrawing from the people you care about, make an effort to connect with them and lean on them for support. Your network of friends and family is most critical, but you can also receive comfort and insight from spiritual support systems and prayer as well. * Look for humor in the situation. Having a good laugh can counteract the effects of stress and restore your sense of perspective and your ability to think clearly. It's been proven that when one is happy, the body recovers more quickly from the biological arousal of upsetting emotions. Use whatever humor floats your boat - corny, silly, dry or satirical - as long as it makes you crack a smile. * Be good to your body. As we've talked about, regular exercise and relaxation techniques like stretching, meditating or doing yoga are great ways to reduce negativity and get back on track. Eating reasonable portions of healthy foods can also increase your overall well being while you are recovering from the setback. * Commit yourself to a new project. New goals and projects provide fresh perspective and a sorely needed dose of enthusiasm. You'll be motivated to work harder and will probably be too busy to think much about the setback. About The Author Alexandra Levit worked for a Fortune 500 software company and an international public relations firm before starting Inspiration @Work, an independent marketing communications business. She's the author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World (Career Press 2004; http://www.corporateincollege.com). This excerpt was reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from THEY DON'T TEACH CORPORATE IN COLLEGE © 2004 Alexandra Levit. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. All rights reserved.
MORE RESOURCES:
Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Is it a Scam? I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to make my fortune online. Unlimit Your Life! Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything good or bad, black or white?This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what's possible. Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come -- Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February. Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5? Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas. Make The Right Career Move It is not realistic for HR Managers to believe that there will not be any staff turnover in the organisation. Having regular staff turnover need not be a negative proposition as it may imply that the industry is very dynamic. Get Beyond Your Tasks Ever hear the story of the two masons working side by side at a building site? They're doing the same work under pretty much the same conditions. Then, one day a stranger comes along, approaches one of the men and asks him, "What are you doing?" "I don't know and I don't care," replies the man, his voice brimming with irritation. What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF? According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order: (1) Communication skills; (2) Honesty/integrity; (3) Teamwork skills; (4) Interpersonal skills; (5) A strong work ethic. Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter. Have Enough Money to Change Careers - Five Key Steps At every talk I give, I ask the audience to tell me the reasons why people don't change careers. The most common answer given each time is "lack of money. Building a Solid Network A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to move out of his successful career in advertising and into the real estate development business. He had already enrolled in a top notch MBA program to learn more about the field. An Unexpected Career Direction My starting point was how to draw on 25 years of experience in which I have helped thousands of people to their own career success, and make this knowledge freely available to anyone and everyone who could use it. I believe that if people are given the right information and helped to reach their own conclusions; they can make an outstanding success of their careers. The Changing Values Landscape of the U.S. and How It Impacts Midlife Job Searchers Imagine a huge river that has been flowing for centuries: See the thick underbrush that has grown up on either edge of the river's expansive banks and the moss-lined stones that litter its shallow edges. Feel the power of water so deep and so strong because it has been pulsing through this landscape since the Renaissance, yet now this mighty river approaches a "Great Divide" such as has never been seen before in human history. Job Search - Understand Employers Think like an employerTo be successful in your job search campaign you must think like an employer or a recruiter. If you are going to do this right, you need to appreciate the ways that employers sift through the flood of resumes. Identity Theft and Your Online Job Search While identity theft is nothing new, the Web has opened up whole new world of opportunity for identity thieves.According to the FBI, identity theft is the top online fraud. Get In The Game With a Stellar Resume During the job hunter's market of the 1990's, employers were settling for less than qualified candidates because the candidate pool was so small. Job hunters were able to name their price and employers were meeting their demands. Take This Job and...Re-staff It Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today's soft economy when the unemployment rate has reached 6. Job Hunting Tips: Organizing Your Attack Looking for work is an energy-devouring ordeal, often leading to running in circles and not getting anywhere. A systematic approach can help you focus on your goal, avoid wasting the energy you need to conserve for interviews and employer contacts, and lower your stress level. What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills? Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and proven executive, the first thing you must come to terms with is, "Regardless of the position you seek, you are now in sales!" The product you are selling is YOU! The interview is your opportunity to differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customer [the interviewer] when compared to your competitors [other job applicants].Successful companies today are focused on building what's known as, corporate "Unique Value-Add Propositions. Finally The First Online Job Agency in Mauritius Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean with a population of 1.2 million inhabitants. Aptitude Tests Reveal the Difference Between Your Aptitude & Ability Aptitude tests measure your skills, abilities, values, interests and personality in order to help you determine which careers you might be best suited for and eliminate those that you are not.Aptitude tests are some of the most important tools to anyone considering a career change. Tips To Survive A Layoff The following eight tips will help make sure that recover from a layoff sooner than you think.#1 - DON'T PANIC: You may have lost your job but you have not lost everything.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
