PREVAIL OVER YOUR FEARS

When for any reason we are losing a job, we feel often lost and scared even if we do our best not to show it to anyone around – friends, relatives, co-workers.

Is it possible to live through that period fearlessly? Someone probably can but not many.

Fear and overwhelming worries are natural response to any uncertainty. The issue, however, is that when we continually live from a place of self-consuming worries, we use up all our energy on avoidance versus moving forward.

Sometimes when we go through hard times looking for another job, we fear rejection. In order to avoid that feeling, you may find yourself withdrawing from the public eye. It becomes much easier to avoid going out or to go out at odd hours to duck and hide.

You end up using your energy to steer clear of potential rejection or criticism to keep yourself safe. It can become a conditioned response, which establishes a negative pattern of behaviour. How long can these patterns last? As long you live in self-consuming worries blaming yourself in previous failures.

It is normal to feel lost and scared when you are exposed to negative circumstances, but to move forward, you need to prevail over your fear which can be self-consuming and course depression on its own.

There are different techniques to prevail that fear, but the main steps are similar which we should know about and exercise daily throughout the whole period of job hunt.

  • Allow yourself time to grieve but do not overdo it

It is a big stress when you lose a job, especially involuntarily. As with any loss you need some time to grieve, think what happened and except it as happened with no way back but forward. Take a vacation or give yourself a scheduled break as 1 or 2-week off as you would do at work.  You can think of a new career path or extra qualification or own business options. No one is blocking a panoramic view for you to look around for new opportunities!

  • Acknowledge the problem

You are afraid that people are talking about you and you may be perceived as a failure due to a job lose, fear of rejection or loss of income

  • Find positive outcome in rejection

If during the job hunt fear of rejection is paralysing you, remind yourself that you are looking for a better place, situation that is good for you, not just any job. You don’t want to accept a job, start your employment and after a week or so begin wondering why you landed here in the first place as there are no prospects for you or they are not better than in the previous one.

  • Recognise a self-defeating “hiding” behaviour

When you lose a job, you lose a big part of your daily routine, which is often the biggest influence to develop a depression. You often stop leaving the house or talking to your friends.

  • Plan and take actions against “hiding” behaviour

To overcome these creeping tendencies, you can include in your daily routine a morning cup of coffee and newspapers, social media scroll, pre-scheduled lunch break and evening gym exercise. You can use an internet café or, as a matter of fact, any café as a reason to leave the house on a regular basis and tricking your brain into the same working routine.   During all other time you update your CV, look for new vacancies on the job sites and send application to the chosen ones. Apply as mush as possible. It will give more chances to be answered. Make a calendar of your meetings. You job now is to look for a job. Stick to the routine and normal working hours like 9-5! Encourage and praise yourself!

  • Create a list of your positive characteristics and professional skills

Sometimes people have not been in such situation for a long time when they had to “sell” themselves to recruitment agencies and employers. It makes it hard to describe their skills from current market recruitment requirements. Create a list of each of your skills, from the ability to analyse difficult situations to be a people person and consider how you can incorporate them into your next job.

  • Make your CV work for you

Look for the samples of CV for the same roles on the internet to learn personal profile descriptions, skill sets and working experience to create your own unique CV with the Summery of your achievements and skills on the front page as your own mirror reflection. Recruitment consultants always appreciate a professionally made CV easy to read and definitely use an available free CV template!

  • Ask for help

Positive encouragement and patience can be critical for someone who has lost a job. A person who is still grieving can look lazy or disinterested but that may also be a sign of depression. Members of the family or friends should support and encourage their any little achievement and afford. Having a conversation about shifting household tasks and family roles may also be helpful. The longer you grieve, the harder it is to get back on the workforce and deeper depression.

  • Accept professional help

If encouragement and support of the family and friends are not enough to take you through the period of job hunt and you feel it is getting too long to get back on your feet to sounds positive, proactive, confident and convincing at the interviews, you can seek for a professional help from a counsellor, GP or psychotherapist to boost your self-esteem level.

Whatever you do, do not stop! Moving somewhere, even if it is not forward, is always better than stagnation.

Be active, live through this and YOU WILL PREVAIL!