 |
Tips for Handling On the Job Setbacks
If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience some type of setback. And whether your pet project is canceled, your performance review is a bust, you get turned down for a promotion, or you're asked to leave the company, setbacks hurt big time. Nevertheless, if you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won't be hurting anyone except yourself. Worrying until you get sick, abusing drugs or denying that you've reached an impasse won't help either. The best strategy for making a comeback is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Here are some other tips you might find helpful:
* Remind yourself that in a month, this will be a memory. When setbacks happen, the tendency is to feel like your bad luck will last forever. By keeping in mind that the situation is temporary, you'll be strong enough emotionally to take the necessary steps to overcome your misfortune.
* Recognize that a setback does not make you a total failure. Treat your setback as the isolated incident that it is. Regardless of what happened, chances are it's not going to significantly affect your life one way or the other. And I don't know any successful people who've learned the right way to do things without trying several wrong ones first.
* Care for your self-esteem. Your identity and self-worth are too precious to leave in the hands of the volatile business world. Your job does not define who you are. You existed before it and will exist after. In the meantime, rather than focusing on your own inadequacies, remind yourself that you are doing the best you can under the circumstances.
* Reach out to your support systems. During a crisis, it always helps to know you are not alone and that you are justified in feeling the way you do. Instead of withdrawing from the people you care about, make an effort to connect with them and lean on them for support. Your network of friends and family is most critical, but you can also receive comfort and insight from spiritual support systems and prayer as well.
* Look for humor in the situation. Having a good laugh can counteract the effects of stress and restore your sense of perspective and your ability to think clearly. It's been proven that when one is happy, the body recovers more quickly from the biological arousal of upsetting emotions. Use whatever humor floats your boat - corny, silly, dry or satirical - as long as it makes you crack a smile.
* Be good to your body. As we've talked about, regular exercise and relaxation techniques like stretching, meditating or doing yoga are great ways to reduce negativity and get back on track. Eating reasonable portions of healthy foods can also increase your overall well being while you are recovering from the setback.
* Commit yourself to a new project. New goals and projects provide fresh perspective and a sorely needed dose of enthusiasm. You'll be motivated to work harder and will probably be too busy to think much about the setback.
About The Author
Alexandra Levit worked for a Fortune 500 software company and an international public relations firm before starting Inspiration @Work, an independent marketing communications business. She's the author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World (Career Press 2004; http://www.corporateincollege.com). This excerpt was reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from THEY DON'T TEACH CORPORATE IN COLLEGE © 2004 Alexandra Levit. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
CAREER TOPICS
The 10 Second Window of Opportunity, Resume Hour Glass
Do you know that a hiring manager just spends 10 second with your resume before deciding to forward or junk it? Ten seconds is all you got, to impress that person to get to the next step of the hiring process - "interviews". I have seen many folks who can easily market themselves in person but they are poor at condensing them in a piece of electronic paper.
Protect Your Business by Performing a Background Check
The success of a business endeavor involves a concerted efforts of financing, strategic planning, product design or service positioning, marketing, sales, and customer support. One of most important aspects of doing business is the people you deal with everyday - your employees, your partners and your competitors.
Change Your Career, Change Your Life!
Lots of times I see and talk to people who are tired, bored and burnt out of their current jobs. I'm not sure what causes this dis- satisfaction.
Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. After a large scale cut in personnel, this particular group of employees needed some extra support.
Career Success Through Self-Marketing
Marketing shouldn't be limited to advertising companies. Finding a job or enhancing your current position requires good self-marketing skills.
An Unexpected Career Direction
My starting point was how to draw on 25 years of experience in which I have helped thousands of people to their own career success, and make this knowledge freely available to anyone and everyone who could use it. I believe that if people are given the right information and helped to reach their own conclusions; they can make an outstanding success of their careers.
What to Do if You are Over 40 and Have Lost Your Job
Unexpectedly loosing your job can be a very traumatic and distressing experience at the best of times. If you are over 40 and can't find the job you deserve, you will need great inner strength and self belief to come out on top.
Choose Your References Wisely!
So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task, right? Sure, you could contact three of your closest friends and ask them to be your references.
The Art of Selling Yourself!
To "sell" oneself on paper is not easy. Creating a resume is a design and construction job and a test of your writing skills as well.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
How to Walk Away from an Opportunity thats Wrong for You
Q. I just finished a job interview.
How People Really Explore New Careers: What Does A Real Career Search Look Like?
The traditional model of career choice suggests a linear pattern. Get to know yourself.
How To Become a Mortgage Broker
The mortgage industry accounted for $1,815,949,279,000 in loan transactions in 2004. That's one trillion, eight hundred and fifteen billion, nine hundred and forty-nine million, two hundred and seventy nine thousand dollars.
5 Characteristics of a Dynamic Loan Processor
Not everyone is cut out to be a mortgage processor. Find out if you or a team member has what it takes to be a dynamic processor.
4 Niche Job-Search Tips
Looking for a job on the Internet can be daunting. Where do you start? What Web sites are best for your industry?If you're suffering from "job search overwhelm," take heart.
The #1 Job Search Mistake To Avoid: Not Preparing Your Mind!
Mental preparation is probably your most important task as you proceed in your job search. This not only needs to be worked on right from the start, but also on an ongoing basis.
Preparing For An Interview
When preparing for an interview, you need to know your skills, experiences and achievements, and how to answer interview questions.Your Skills
Become an expert about yourself.
Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2)
Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities to
do your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is well
suited to telecommuting.
Finding a Career in Harmony with Your Life Path
Which of the following would you chose? Doing your lifework as a permanent occupation or a regular activity performed in exchange for payment. The first is the definition of a career and the second that of a job.
Career Success: Take Charge of Your Career
People react very differently to the waves of change that suddenly flood the work and marketplace. Some, who feel confused or unsettled struggle to keep their heads above water gasping for air.
|
