Managing uncertainty effectively in your job search

Managing uncertainty effectively in your job search

Pri Notowidigdo, The Amrop Hever Group, Global Executive Search
(e-mail: jakarta@amrophever.com)

I have been talking with a number of people over the last two
weeks who have either been retrenched from corporate downsizing
or have chosen to explore new opportunities in the job market.

A major issue for these people has been how to deal with the
uncertainty of their situation.

Fear inevitably takes hold and the need for certainty comes
into play -- whether it is the "certainty" of a steady pay cheque
or of the jobseeker finding a job.

What is certainty, except that it is really about inner
security or a deep inner sense of personal worth? Such things as
integrity, the unconditional love of family, service to the
community, and a spiritually rich private life will make a person
more effective in all phases of his life.

These things provide a strong foundation for managing
uncertainty effectively in your job search. Complementing these
things are guidelines to keep in mind to maintain your
perspective to ensure that the job search process can be managed
effectively.

The first guideline is that there are few absolutes, as
looking for a job is an art and not a science. Whether you find
an opportunity or not depends on you the individual and the
situation.

Another guideline is that effective ways of looking for a job
are really applications of common sense.

How you project yourself and treat others can have a positive
or negative effect on whether other people will be receptive to
you. The power of "do unto others as you would have them do unto
you" is worth thinking about.

Looking for a job involves a bit of selling and marketing
yourself. Why should someone hire you? What value can you offer a
prospective employer? Do you share similar values with a
prospective employer?

Another guideline is that you may have problems looking for a
job because you are so emotionally involved in the process.

Can you take a step back a bit? It's hard to be objective when
your life, career, and future are at stake, isn't it? Put on your
intellectual hat and hold on to your emotional one as best you
can.

There are no guarantees that you will find your dream job, let
alone a job at all. But if you're determined, patient,
persistent, and organized, you can increase your chances
significantly. Luck, of course, plays a big role.

You can impress some people, but not everybody, with your
qualifications. That's OK and normal. Just be yourself ... but be
your best possible self.

Despite all the great advice you may think you're getting, it
all boils down to whom you are. Adapt good advice to your own
personality, style and approach.

If a certain piece of advice doesn't work for you, then ignore
it. But this doesn't mean that the tough task of calling people
you don't know and networking should be avoided -- even if this
makes you uncomfortable at first.

Networking will give you useful, albeit conflicting,
information sometimes. Your responsibility is to sort it all out
and to determine what to do given your circumstances.

In the end, most people find jobs through friends, family,
colleagues and other acquaintances by networking. This is not the
only way to find a job but it may perhaps be the most effective
way for you personally to find your job.

If you work hard and intelligently at the process and stay
focused and positive, you will eventually be successful.