Selling Yourself: The Power of Positivity
There's a famous quote that I'm sure you'll have heard before. It's attributed to Henry Ford, whether he actually said it or not I'm not sure. It might be like one of those fake Buddha quotes you see posted on Facebook or Instagram. Anyway the quote is:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, you're right.”
What did Mr. Ford mean? Well, it's all in the mind. Your mental approach to what you do is key. How often in sports have we seen great teams go on a winning streak? Or a losing streak? Winning breeds winning and losing breeds losing (as a Derby County supporter I can attest to the latter!) Psychology is key to your success and failure.
We've all had our highs and lows in our careers. We've all been there, trawling the job boards, sending applications out and hearing nothing back. Having interviews, waiting for the phone to ring, expecting that rejection email that never comes. It's easy to disappear into a rabbit hole of woe. It's easy to become disheartened. For some people this can and does snowball, making interviews a traumatic affair and adding to an increased sense that the whole process is a pointless one. I see this both as a recruiter and as a former job hunter.
I genuinely believe that the key to success is to believe. Believe in yourself. Believe you can. Rejection is just a step in the process to your dream job. The people who make it are those that do. As Woody Allen said "99% of success is just showing up". It's amazing how much of a difference a positive outlook can make. The next time you feel like you are stuck in a rut, make a list of all the things you a grateful for. Write them down, look at them. Be grateful for what you have. We are all here for a reason, not to suffer and to face rejection but to be and do what we love. Be positive. Who knows, you might end up founding a car company!
