Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Nail that Job Interview--Let Anger and Bitterness Go




'If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. '

Lao Tzu


Want to nail that job interview? Cultivate a happy state of mind.

 Research shows you can train yourself to develop a more optimistic mindset—making it easier to answer interview questions in a positive, self-confident manner. Invest in a journal, and train yourself to develop a more positive mindset to nail your next interview. Choose one of these writing exercises to do daily.

 Exercise #1: Write a positive note to yourself or someone in your support network.

 Believe it. No, this isn't pie-in-the-sky, Pollyanna thinking.  Happiness research shows you perform better under pressure with an optimistic outlook. You can make significant improvements in your outlook in three weeks with daily writing exercises.

 Exercise #2 Write down three things you're grateful for today.

 Let go of anger and bitterness. Sure, if you've lost your job 'getting happy' may sound easier said than done. But hold on to anger and bitterness over 'how-they-done-you-wrong' in the last job and you'll fail to land the next one. Interviewers weed out people stuck in the past. Better to invest in your future by preparing for your next job interview through boosting your happiness quotient.

 Exercise #3 Write a positive note to a former co-worker or boss.

 Prepare by fixating on the positive. You know what you'd really like to say to the interviewer when she asks 'why did you leave your last job' or 'how did you handle conflict with a previous co-worker'. Without preparing ahead your mind fixates on the negative—and there goes the job. Fixate on the positive instead.


So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.”  

From the song Already Gone by The Eagles.
Thank you Carol Speller for this quote.



For more on creating a more optimistic mindset see Shawn Achor on Happy Secret to Better Work


 

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