Carl Bradford

When you become a job seeker, the situations you face on a day-to-day basis can take a tremendous toll on your emotional and mental well-being. You deal with rejections, frustration, disappointment, limited or no feedback to your employment inquires and possibly disrespect on a daily basis.

You probably experience more emotional ups and downs than most any other time in your professional career. And, no matter how successful you are, your progress is less predictable than you would probably like.  As a job seeker, your level of mental and emotional toughness affects you every day, in everything you do.

It’s More About What You Do

Being mentally and emotionally tough is less about what you say and do than it is about how you feel about what you say and do. For example, if your feelings about asking a another colleague or a professional that you don’t know, to provide you with referrals keeps you from asking, then you start a downward spiral to nowhere. First, you’re uncomfortable asking, so you don’t ask and end up wasting time chasing over marketeted job prospects. You get angry with yourself and/ or potential employers for wasting your time.

All these negative feelings and actions only serve to tear down your emotional and mental well-being.

Here’s a Carl Bradford Rule

“Never become emotionally involved in a networking call, especially a cold call.”

Being emotionally tough doesn’t mean that you have no emotions or that you are a cold person. It means that you have learned how to control your emotions so they don’t keep you from doing what you have to do.

How often do you have to be tough during a job search?

Only for five minutes at a time. There is no need to put undue pressure on yourself to be tough all the time. What’s really important is to be tough during those times when you need to be. It only takes five minutes to be tough enough and bolster your courage to do the things and ask the questions that we find personally difficult.

Most job seekers have reluctance to pick up that 900 pound phone and make that first cold call. It only takes five minutes.

Job seekers are also uncomfortable asking for an interview. There are comfortable ways to do this. Learn them and then get tough with yourself for five minutes to ask the question that will get you the answer.

Another issue is asking for the job offer. We all have trouble with this, but boosting your toughness for five minutes will improve your chances of obtaining a new career opportunity.

Can you spare five minutes?  Be tough and do the tough things in five minute segments.