The JobSync Blog
Be Successful By Doing Things Differently
January 23, 2012
With the new year well underway, it’s worth looking back at a blog post by motivational psychologist and author Heidi Grant Halvorson that was featured at the Harvard Business Review’s website last year. In her piece “Nine Things Successful People Do Differently,” Halvorson points out that research has shown that people reach their goals more often because of what they do as opposed to what talents they were born with. Halvorson outlines nine ways that successful people reach their goals, and each of these ways can be applied to your job search:
1. Get specific. Your goal is to get a job, but in today’s complicated job market, have you cast too wide a net? By not giving yourself a specific job type, this lack of clarity can undermine your motivation to attain that job. And by keeping it specific, this will help you target precisely what you need to do to get that specific job.
2. Seize the moment to act on your job goals. No matter how busy you are with other aspects of your life, when a job opportunity pops up, jump on it. No excuses. No one ever got a job because of lame excuses, especially in a job market where time is rarely an ally.
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. To know how far you have left to go to get a job, it’s important to know how far you have come. For instance, if you haven’t made it past a first interview, you may need to reflect on your preparation for all your interviews.
4. Be a realistic optimist. Staying positive is important, but as Halvorson points out, “Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.” Keep this in mind during your job search.
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Jobseeking is complex and features many components that require mastering. In today’s job market, being good is not enough – you need to focus on getting better at every aspect of job hunting, from writing a compelling resume to nailing an interview.
6. Have grit. Are you willing to commit to a long-term job search in the face of overwhelming difficulties? Research has shown that grit is critical to succeeding in life, whether one is a contestant at the Scripps National Spelling Bee or earning a higher college GPA. Fortunately, grit is not necessarily innate. If you don’t have it, it can be developed.
7. Build your willpower muscle. How does one build willpower? Or grit for that matter? If you have none, start with smaller tasks, even those not seemingly related to your job search (e.g., cut one hour out of your daily TV watching). Then build up to bigger tasks (e.g., quitting smoking). By building willpower in one corner of your life, you’ll soon be surprised how this spills over to your job search.
8. Don't tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower or grit become, remember that one has limits. Recognize your limitations in your job search. No one can do everything, and trying to do even more will cost you on your other efforts.
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do. As Halvorson notes, “Research on thought suppression (e.g., “Don't think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind.” This is also true for behavior – focusing on not engaging in a bad habit can strengthen the habit (e.g., telling yourself, “Don’t get nervous in a job interview!”).
So focus on doing things differently, and you will soon find yourself succeeding differently as well.
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