5 Reasons for Job-Seekers to Take Heart

It's bad enough to be job-hunting, but the daily doom-and-gloom news reports are the kicker. If you're in a job search and overwhelmed by the negative news on every inch of screen and newsprint in your life,you're not alone.

Here are five reasons to feel better about your job search and shove some of the hype to the back burner:

Earnings Are Over

Lots of companies had to shed workers to improve their fourth-quarter earnings, but plenty of them are finding that they can't serve customers without bodies on board. Look for more job openings to crop up during the spring.

Training Pays Off

Athletes train for weeks or months before seeing a change in their
results, and then one day hit a new personal best -- coaches call it
the Invisible Power Curve. Job-seekers can experience the same thing. The more experience we get interviewing, writing customized cover letters, and researching employers, the better we get at all these things. If we're learning, then our chance of getting a job improves for each successive position we pursue.

All Job-Seekers Are Not Equal

I look at resumes all day long, and I'm sorry to say that tons of
them are studded with typos and misspellings. That's a shame for
those candidates, but good for you if you're the person who watches those picky and critical details.

Your Network Is Growing

If you're letting old and new friends know about your job search,
your network is growing (even as you sleep!). The more people who know about your job search (and specifically what you're looking for), the better. It's frustrating to sit by as weeks and months elapse in your job search, but if you're cultivating your network,the passing time also builds your cadre of new-job ambassadors.

You Are More Than Your Resume

If the most common refrain of late '08 was, "Oh no, I'm getting laid
off," then the second-most-common one has got to be "But I didn't
love that job, anyway." A job search is a great way to home in on
what you're good at and love to do. When you get clear about those two items, you'll have built the first two legs of your job-search stool. The third leg is the answer to the question "Which of the things I love to do and am good at will employers pay for?"

There's a lot more to the working world than what's on your resume already. This is a great time to think about new outlets for your talents. You deserve to have a next job that will do more than pay the bills -- don't you?

by Liz Ryan
lizinboulder@grouply.com

You Can Make a Difference this Year

"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." John Tarrant

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Anita Roddick


Thinking it Through...

As I spend time speaking to and coaching people I am constantly reminded of the longing we all have for appreciation. We move through life with a lot being asked of us and each day it seems requiring more and more. What we don't receive much of is gratitude. If you want to make a huge impact on people this year ...share gratitude. Not only will you positively impact others but the beautiful,beautiful part of this is that you will find more things to be grateful for. What you focus on you get, so gratitude is an activity without a downside.

Have fun with this! Notice the look in the cashier's eyes as you take the time to look at her and thank her for bagging your groceries. Enjoy the reaction when you tell the barista at your local Starbucks that she makes the best cup of cappuccino ever. Imagine the surprise on the face of your trash collector when he finds the thank-you note on your trash can. Change your life and others by being grateful.




Challenge

Show appreciation to at least three people today.

Start a gratitude journal and send thank-you notes every week.

Find someone to thank today who you think rarely receives thanks.

List 3 things you appreciate yourself for.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com