Career Strategies: Creating a Daily Job Search Affirmation

One of the biggest, most stubborn job search barriers could very well be right on top of your shoulders. For most people, their own negative thoughts and emotions do more than any other single factor to kill efforts to find better employment.

And even for those whose emotions are strong and well-suited to the multitude of rejections a job search doles out, there can always be a rogue hit - that sucker punch that catches you at just the wrong moment.

But you can strengthen your feelings for the long fight ahead by using an affirmation. This is simply a set of ideas, written down, that you read to yourself every day - or more - to bolster your emotions. And they can work wonders for keeping yourself strong for a job search.

Here are some great things to remind yourself of in your daily job search affirmation.

Who you are
When chasing jobs and trying to sell yourself to dozens of different companies at a time, it's easy to bend your personality and inner being until you lose track of what you're really about and what matters to you. Use your affirmation to reinforce the values that make up the foundation of what makes you "You." Start by including statements like, "I believe that people matter more than projects, and that by valuing the human element, the work is ultimately done better." Be honest and go from there.

Why you're special
In the barrage of "no"s and the mass competitions for jobs that are inevitable in any search, you almost can't help but feel like just another cow in the herd - same spots, same mooing sound, similar resume. Use your affirmation to remind yourself what makes you unique. Maybe it's your combination of experience. Maybe it's one of the things you describe in the "Who You Are" part of the affirmation. Perhaps it's both. Give it plenty of thought. Better yet, ask for help on this one from someone who knows you and really cares for you.