by Mansi Gandhi
A positive and optimistic attitude is very powerful and can have an amazing impact on a job search. If you are looking to advance your career, you will definitely want to consider the power of positive thinking. The Job Forum recently organized a webinar on The Power of Positive Thinking to support Bay Area, job seekers. The program featured expert panelists who shared how positive thinking impacts your career. Actively working towards positive thoughts in your everyday interactions with yourself and with others can improve your confidence, strengthen your relationships, and lead you to your life’s goals.
What is positive thinking?
Positive thinking involves an intentional mental attitude that focuses on your strengths, what you can control and expects good and promising results. Incorporating positive thinking into your mind and your life can lead to a great deal of benefits because it can transform positive energy into reality.
The problem with negativity
Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” If you don’t think you can advance to your dream job, you won’t. Negativity will make you overthink your interactions, your work, or your effort, and it will make you believe that none of it is cutting it. A negative mindset can also make you comfortable with failure and can create a feeling of learned helplessness, where you begin to feel you don’t have any control over the outcome of your efforts.
Negativity narrows your thoughts, creating additional stress. It can make you focus on a single problem without giving you the room to develop and consider alternative possibilities. Learning how to counter negativity with positive thoughts is essential for maintaining an upwards career trajectory. And we know from brain science that thinking positive thoughts actually build additional capacity in your brain to handle future challenges more effectively.
How to become a positive thinker
- Increase your expectations. If you keep your expectations low, you won’t leave yourself much room for improvement. Raising your expectations can help you remember that your greatest days are ahead, not in the past. Positive thoughts will help you persist through the tough times.
- Believe in your worth. Remember that the law of attraction says that you will attract what you believe you deserve, so pay attention to how you think about yourself. Maintain a positive attitude and tell yourself you deserve to achieve your goals.
- Take one step at a time. Small daily acts toward your goals, in your career or otherwise, can help you build a solid base toward a positive mind and a positive life. Remember that some instances of self-doubt won’t completely set you back. Sometimes it can signal to you that you didn’t prepare well enough, that you need to get more information, or that you need to take a break.
- Make and follow a daily schedule. This should include applying for jobs, networking, creating a target company list and reaching out, doing industry and company research, and exploring different career options that you are interested in.
- Persevere! Don’t let anything stop you from obtaining your dream job, better work/life balance, better pay, the desire for more of a challenge, or whatever you want most in your next position. That job is out there.
- 6. Ask for support. This can come from friends and family, your church and community, and a professional career coach to support you and provide tools to help you obtain a job more quickly.
- Don’t make it all about your job search. Allow time with people important to you, enjoy hobbies, and other interests that make you happy – and most importantly, take care of yourself
- Don’t get discouraged. Not every job interview will be a success. The position may not be a good fit, the company may have hired someone else from within the company, they may have decided not to hire anyone. Don’t take it personally but learn from all your experiences. You will get a job offer for the right position and the right company eventually. Someone will hire you without hesitation, someone who knows that you will add value to the position and will be a good cultural fit. That is what we all want! Sometimes you must be a little patient to find the best career fit and you will be happier and more successful in the long run.
- Pay it forward! Do some volunteer work to help others. You will feel good about giving back and will be making a difference in the lives of others. You may also expand your network while helping others.
If you follow these simple steps, you can have a better, less stressful job hunt
The benefits of positive thinking
Another great benefit of positive thinking is that you will be able to handle feedback and conflict in a new way. Positive thoughts can help you reframe that feedback into a learning experience. While many people think that success is a result of work ethic, persistence, or drive, behind it all is the power of positive thinking. Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones to start believing in yourself and believing in your success. You will probably be surprised by the difference positive thoughts can make.
The Job Forum is a nonprofit run by volunteers who offer job hunters insights and advice from experts in various industries. Our volunteer experts are insiders in Bay Area companies who advise job seekers with practical ideas for how to be more successful in finding a job or career within these industries.
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