The wrong attitude

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

How you act around people is just as important as what it says on your resume. You can teach people new skills, but attitude and behaviour is more difficult. During your interaction with potential employers the right attitude is essential. If you come across too strong, situations that may have turned into job opportunities can pass you by.

When unemployed the stress associated with finding a job can cause your attitude or behaviour to spiral out of control, especially if you don't find anything or continually deal with rejection. There are many factors that contribute to a negative attitude, which is why it's important to keep an eye on how you act.

You never know when you might meet a person who could be your next co-worker or boss, that person you were rude to, could be the one who's in charge of the hiring decisions at the next company you apply to work for.

An aggressive attitude will drive people away, which is the last thing you want to do if you're looking for a job. Think about it, do you like talking to people who look and act angry, like they'll explode on the next person that talks to them. You may be having an off day, but it only takes an instant to say or do something you wouldn't normally do. Don't give people the wrong idea about you, even if it's understandable why you're frustrated, keep it out of the interview room.

Shyness and a lack of confidence in your abilities are other ways your attitude can send the wrong message about you and turn people away. If you don't believe you're up to the tasks of the job, or feel you're not ready to be given responsibility, it can come across that way and make others doubt your abilities as well. It's natural to be nervous, but try not to let other people see it.

In contrast to not having enough confidence in yourself, displaying too much confidence can cause you to come across as arrogant. You may be great at what you do, but going around and acting like you're better than everyone else will rub people the wrong way. If people feel like you're looking down upon by them, it can affect the help they give you during your job search and on the job. We all need help from time to time, so don't act like you're the best in the world, or like other people are beneath you because they don't have your skill set or don't know the information you know.

Think about your current attitude towards finding a job, are you desperate and willing to do anything you're given, or have you given up and simply don't care anymore? Desperate job seekers scare people away by how intense they can be. Once you've interviewed for a position, if you're agreeing to do absolutely anything that you're practically begging, or you're sending the interviewer daily emails to show why you should get the job, you're coming across to strong.

Appearing apathetic to job offers, like you just don't care, is a good way to take yourself out of the running. Why is an employer going to give the job to someone who doesn't appear to want it? There's no need to go to extremes to show you want the job, as you're probably heading back into desperate territory there. But you need to show some interest.

A polite word can make a big difference, it's important not to let the stress of a situation get to you, that all your thoughts other then, 'how can I get this over with', go out the window. A polite greeting or farewell such as, 'Hi it's nice to meet you', or 'Thank you for meeting with me today, have a nice day', sets a good tone for any further conversations and make a good impression.

So not only is being mindful about your attitude good for you during job hunting activates, it's good for all types of interaction with people in your day to day life.

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