When I was seeking employment it took me over a year to find the right job. My brother, on the other hand, found a job in less than a week after losing his job. In fact, he never had a problem finding employment quickly. One day I asked him how he keeps finding jobs so quickly. He told me that he simply has a positive attitude. I didn’t understand what that meant until I realized that whatever I was doing wasn’t working so I had to change something. My resume was effective enough to get me interviews; however, I wasn’t getting the job offers after the interview. I decided that maybe my attitude was the issue.
Believing that having a more positive attitude is the best route to take, I made a few easy adjustments. I applied for the same jobs and a few new ones. This time, when I followed up with the companies I spoke with a more positive attitude and showed gratitude to everyone I spoke with. I even smiled during the phone calls to project positivity. When I visited the Workforce Solutions offices and met with employment counselors I displayed a positive attitude and followed up on all the leads provided. During my interview, I was very kind to the receptionist, staff and management. After the interview, I sent follow up emails to everyone present during the interview and a thank you card to them as well. I did that for a full month and the results were tremendous. During that month of job search, I received multiple job offers and Workforce Solutions staff even referred me to positions that I hadn’t applied for. Maintaining a positive attitude has dramatically changed my life and career. My advice to someone seeking employment and feeling discouraged about the length of time you have been unemployed is that having a positive attitude during a hard time can certainly make a difference.
Quick Tips:
- Be Kind to everyone you meet during an interview. You may never know who the real decision-maker is.
- Send thank you cards or emails to people that took the time to interview you. A small thank you may go a long way, especially if the decision comes down to you and another candidate.
- Smile when following up with future employers. Believe it or not, people on the other end of the phone line can tell if you are smiling.
- Show gratitude to the Workforce Solutions staff that is assisting you. These are hardworking people too and know the difficulties of job searching…and they just want to help.
- To get more information for seminars offered at Workforce Solutions on interviewing and other topics, please visit our website.
And remember to stay positive!
Cornelius Booker is a senior member of the Regional Navigator team and a graduate of Oklahoma State University where he received his Bachelors in Marketing and later received his M.B.A with a focus on Business Marketing and Management. With his personal experience and passion for the disabled community, Cornelius’ insights are an invaluable asset to the Workforce Solutions organization.
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