The Glass Is Half Full Approach To Your Job Search
A client of mine is working freelance for a media company. Suffice it to say that the media company is very well established and it’s not going anywhere. Recently, senior executives made huge changes and eliminated a large number of staff, including my client’s boss. He referred to the process as a “blood bath.”
Yikes!
This particular client had been working as a perma-freelancer within the organization for over a year and was pretty alarmed by the changes. So far, he has kept his job while the departed in the division have yet to be replaced. I asked him to try to look at the situation in a different light, ecouraging him to put forth his resume with a note saying something to the effect of “I’d like to throw my hat in the ring to secure a permanent position on your team. I have been working as a freelancer for over a year and I know the ropes and how to get things done. Although I regret that others lost their jobs, I am very enthusiastic about the direction you and the executive team are moving in. I would be eager to discuss this new direction, some ideas I have and how I can help bring the changes you envision to life. Attached is my resume for your consideration….”
My client was very uncomfortable with my proposal and told me that “I didn’t understand what was going on internally.” Well, it’s true, I’m not there and I’m not the one experiencing the turmoil. It’s normal when something like this happens to be agitated, upset and frightened. But, what I tried to show my client is that there are always two ways to look at a situation. “Stop looking at the negative and see the positive. You ARE still there. The executive team doesn’t know you. And, you have an advantage over an outsider – you know how the company operates and you can get things done quickly and effectively because of that.”
Did my client follow my advise? I don’t think he did, which is too bad. After all, what does he have to lose? Nothing. He can only gain by putting forth the effort.
After each blog post I sign off by saying “carpe diem.” Sieze the day. It’s the people who are willing to take chances, are confident and aggressive that move forward in their careers. So the next time there’s a shake up in your department/company, after the initial shock evaporates, if you are still around, seize the day. Try to make something good come out of it. Take the “glass half full” approach to the situation.
Carpe Diem….