Hate waking up every morning to get ready for a job you dislike? Unhappy with your career and still in search of that unattainable dream job?
You’re not alone.
Many people are miserable–with a capital M!–about their job situation, and they know their career is nowhere near what they had originally envisioned for themselves. Unfortunately, some won’t do much about it. They’ve either given up on trying or have accepted their circumstances and settled. That’s a shame because complacency will exponentially increase job misery over time.
There are also just as many job seekers out there who continue to, well, seek, unable to get even ONE callback for a job interview. How frustrating!
All of these scenarios are pretty common, but that doesn’t make feeling dejected any less unpleasant.
“It’s Going To Be Alright”
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush summed it up so eloquently during their never-ending embrace back in 1987, in a music video whose imagery was as powerful as the song itself: “Don’t Give Up”
Such a deceptively simple phrase, but one whose meaning and ramifications represent so much more.
Just hang on — whether it’s about your job search, your career, or anything else going on in your life — “it’s going to be alright,” as the lyric goes.
You WILL make it through that seemingly endless, dark eclipse and the sunshine WILL eventually return.
Don’t Give Up…On Yourself
As demoralizing as things might get, giving up on your pursuit should never be an option.
More importantly, you shouldn’t give up on yourself or the optimism you felt when you started your journey.
Expect things to not go as planned. Unforeseen challenges will arise. Hope will dwindle…but don’t let it.
As unlikely as it will seem at the time, pieces are STILL falling into place to help you reach your goal. Obstacles are just part of the process. All you need to do is press forward.
I’ve been in similar situations over the course of my career. I know what it’s like, how overwhelming and disheartening it can feel. You must remind yourself it’s temporary and just a FEELING you can overcome.
It’s how you go about things — not only when you’re searching for a job, but how to make the most of it when you have one.
But don’t take my word for it. Many people have dealt with their own set of challenges and prevailed.
You’re Not The Only One…Inspirational Stories For Job Seekers:
The next time you (or someone you know) encounters yet another disappointing roadblock, think about these inspiring stories:
- Not only was he a subpar student, Albert Einstein struggled to find employment once out of school. He ended up taking a job as a door-to-door insurance salesman which led to other odd jobs. These were all stepping stones to finding the one job he truly loved….oh, and coming up with the Theory of Relativity! Yes, even a genius can have a difficult time reaching their full potential.
- This person’s first manuscript was rejected 28 times before a publisher finally accepted it. (Would you consider that a failure? What if they called it quits after the 28th rejection?) It’s a good thing failure wasn’t an option, because their perseverance paid off…in the form of over 600 million books sold! Ever heard of Theodor Seuss Geisel? You might know him by his other name: “Dr. Seuss”
- This young man had dreams of music stardom, but the demos he recorded didn’t result in much. He also failed an audition to join a singing quartet — they told him he couldn’t sing! He took a job as a truck driver, but still didn’t give up on his musical pursuit and finally got the opportunity to join a band as their vocalist. What happened next? Not much…until his (random) rendition of an old blues song caught a DJ’s attention. Aside from selling over a billion records, Elvis Presley remains a legend.
There’s a Place Where YOU Belong
Keep reminding yourself that failure is just a (temporary) detour to ultimately reach your goal.
What makes stories like the ones above inspirational is that these people never gave up. Imagine if they did! What if they weren’t so persistent and gave up right before successfully reaching their goal? The end result would most likely have been much different.
Why Not You?
Keep this in mind:
- 2 different film studios initially turned down a little movie called Star Wars. Ever heard of it?
- 12 publishers rejected Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but that didn’t stop J.K. Rowling. Even in her 40’s, she kept trying until her manuscript was finally accepted, albeit for a small advance. This put her on a path to become the first author to earn a billion dollars. Talk about a successful midlife career!
There are many other inspirational stories for job seekers, but I’m sure you get the point.
You might also be thinking: “Sure, it worked out for them, but that doesn’t mean it will for me.”
Don’t you think any of the people mentioned above could have easily had the same thought prior to reaching their goal? No one ever said there wouldn’t be some self-doubt or second-guessing along the way.
The point is they pressed on. You should too.
How To Improve Your Career Path Starting Today!
Start helping yourself TODAY by taking small, simple steps.
It can feel overwhelming, even hopeless, when you don’t know where to begin.
Here’s a great first step to improve your personal and/or career outlook…
Start by taking an online career development course of YOUR choosing to:
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- Strengthen the skills you feel need improving
- Educate and enlighten yourself about other job fields that interest you
- Improve your career outlook by learning more about your strengths…and weaknesses.
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Here are just a few reasons why this will benefit you:
- YOU are giving yourself a chance to expand your career horizons and finding new areas of interest. (Example: You don’t like you’re job (or industry you’re in) and want out…but still aren’t sure what you want to do.)
- YOU are arming yourself with new knowledge that can help you attain your dream job — whatever it may be. (Example: You are in search of a new career, but at a disadvantage because you don’t have a lot of experience in that new field…yet.)
- YOU are showing future employers that you’re driven and making the effort to improve your career growth yourself. (Example: You’re in a job situation where you feel helpless, but that’s not stopping you — you are taking the initiative to change that.)
The wonderful thing is YOU get to choose your path based on what interests you!
And there are SO MANY options — all you need to decide.
General online courses that might benefit you and help improve your skills:
- Resume and Job Interview help
- A complete guide to help you attain your dream job
- Improve your Office productivity skills (such as understanding Microsoft Excel better, etc.)
Online courses in more specific areas — whether it’s something you’re already doing and want to improve on (i.e. get ahead of your coworkers), or are simply considering for a career change:
Want to expand your horizons and try something new?
Maybe go into business for yourself? You can take that first step today!
- Entrepreneurship
- Online Business (Start your own!)
Not sure where to begin?
- Start here and decide on the type of course that interests you. This will help determine your path.
There are over 80,000 online courses you can take advantage of! THOUSANDS of people have taken these courses to educate themselves, improve their careers and their overall personal development…why not you?)
Collectively, these small steps — just like the small steps in the inspirational stories shared above — will help put you on the right path and enlighten you.
By The Way: “Career” Is Also The Title Of A Fantastic Song!
Speaking of “career” and overcoming challenges, I would be remiss to not mention a little-known gem of a song from the 1970’s called “Career (No Such Thing As Rock ‘n’ Roll).”
Ever heard of it? The band’s name is Mott (they are the late-era version of the original, and grossly underappreciated, band Mott the Hoople).
The song is a grandiose, moody ballad that’s filled with lyrics about how others will “try to cut you down,” “take your soul away,” and “break your heart.”
A remake of the song was done by Down ‘N’ Outz (Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott’s side project) on their album “My Re-Generation.” Their version took the song to new heights.
Any glam-rock music fan will love its eerie piano interludes, soaring vocals and anthemic chorus.
Enjoy a listen:
The song will likely be stuck in your head long after a couple of listens. Hopefully, the tips and success stories above will also be just as hard to forget the next time you reach a job roadblock.
Success awaits you. Just give it time. Don’t give up.
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