Job search derailed? Mizzou researchers say think positive
An University of Missouri-Columbia research study confirms what disciples of the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale have known all along: There is power in positive thinking.
And an upbeat attitude channeled into a job search, it turns out, can lead to an equally positive result.
Daniel Turban, professor and chair of the Department of Management at Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, led the survey.
Academically, the team examined the Effects of Conscientiousness and Extraversion on New Labor Market Entrants’ Job Search: The Mediating Role of Metacognitive Activities and Positive Emotions.
Translated, that means researchers looked at the personalities, demographics, emotions and the outcomes of the employment searches of 327 job-hunters.
The upshot: “We found, that … thinking about a plan, acting on a plan and reflecting upon that plan were important early in the job search while having positive emotions were important later in the job search,” Turban said in a statement released by the university.
Turban suggests that job-seekers plot a strategy, continually evaluate their progress and prepare emotionally for the inevitable rejections along the way.
“Some of these recommendations seem like they are common sense, but they are just not that common. People don’t have strategies, they don’t assess their plans, and they don’t think about their strategies and reflect on whether it’s working or how to make them work better,” he said.
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You can wish upon a lucky star or carry a rabbit’s foot or maybe even hand some wiccan beads around your neck.
There’s no such thing as a “Jobless Recovery”. America is in the toilet to stay this time.
Thinkpos, you’re the perfect example of spot-on wrong.
Nobody said to carry some kind of magic talisman. The article in the post, and OTHERS referred to in past posts, all point to the simple fact that the ATTITUDE of the applicant has as much, if not more, to do with getting a job offer as the applicant’s actual experience or skill level.
People want to be around friendly, upbeat people. Nobody wants to be around a whining, complaining, negative, clod.
Except maybe other whining, complaining, negative clods. And I don’t know of any company looking to fill that kind of spot.
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2040-Job-Search-Your-Bad-Attitude-Could-Be-Hurting-Your-Job-Search/?sc_extcmp=JS_2040_advice&SiteId=cbmsn42040
Meg is right. Stay positive even when the sheriff shows up and carries your belongings to the curb. Be positive that Obama and GW and Bernanke and all the Wall Street boys are right there with you to support you and give you encouragement! It’s all in your attitude. If you’re down and lost everything just wear a stupid smirking grin like the brainwashed programmed moron that you are!
Meg you got think pos all wrong.
Think pos is actually a fairly typical ignorant and irresponsible American who blames their plight on factors other than themselves.
If the sheriff does show up to set you on the curve “think pos” just keep on yelling about obama and bernanke or whatver you choose as a whipping post maybe they’ll move you back in.
I was out of work for 7 months until 2 weeks ago so I can speak from experience that having a positive mindset is far from “brainwashing”. Success for me was all about me and my preparation and persistance. Nothing to do with obama or politics.
Way to go, John!!
Congrats on the new job, and best of luck to you.
I remember it started in the mid ’70s, the college educated people were laughing about the rust belt and how we were loosing the “unskilled” jobs. You grads who can’t find jobs now should be asking your parents and grandparents if they remember those buy American, your kids will need a job bumper stickers. You people are getting the exact economy you deserve. If you keep sending your money to Korea, Japan, old Mex, and COMMUNIST China how are you going to create jobs here??? Please explain!!!! In a college economics class I took the first words out of the professors mouth was “Manufacturing is the only activity that CREATES wealth”. If you keep CREATING wealth for these foreign countries you can expect to keep loosing AMERICAN jobs.
Bjohn, it’s “losing”…. “loose” is that feeling in the front of your pants where - oops, you called yourself “bigjohn”, now, didn’t you?
In other words, you’d be a “Loser”, not a “Looser”.
I cannot believe that time and money was spent on this survey! Of course positive attitude will help you land a job. That’s a given, a no-brainer, a slam dunk. And,of course, job seekers need to “plot a strategy, continually evaluate their progress and prepare emotionally for the inevitable rejections along the way”. What job seekers really need the professor to study is how to get Human Resources managers to look at their resumes and return their calls. We are not even getting a chance to put on our positive faces in the interview because no one is responding to our applications! There is no progress to evaluate!
It’s understandable since the HR folks are drowning in resumes and cover letters right now but that doesn’t make it any easier for the 2M people out of work and the millions who have had their pay reduced in the last year. Even if you still have that job at half your original salary, the fear of layoffs makes it very difficult to put on a “happy face” everyday.
Oh well, at least the professor has a job!
Perhaps the missing element in all of this is that you have to DO something to CREATE positivity, not just continually fake yourself out and keep grinning like an idiot even when you’re really struggling. How this comes into play is networking groups, volunteer events, online communities and the support of family and friends to help us keep both our professional AND personal skills fresh and remind us that we still DO have something to give, even after rejection after rejection. I’m in this right now and the days I’m feeling really low are the days I do pretty much nothing proactive, so the momentum has to stay high to prevent that rut.