oliviatamccue

After a holiday hiatus, it is time to dust off the sleeping-bug and get back to some rhythm.

January 4, 2013 is one of the best days ever for wedding.  Why? January 4, 2013 in YYMD format becomes 13-1-4, the Chinese pronounication of 1314 in Chinese has a meaning.   CCUE means everything is as wish; 1314 means “forever in the whole life for the whole century”.   Imagine how sweet for a couple to get married on such a date “love forever in the whole life”.

Let’s say it creates some good-luck charm for anything we start today.

Finally there is a deal for the US fiscal cliff.

Well, for job searcher, there are different types of cliff that can easily get a person in low spirit.  What is a job search (fiscal) cliff?

• You run into a job opportunity that fits like a glove, all the interviews are done and the conversation flows beautifully, and the hiring manager promises to get back to you quickly.   It feels an offer is on the way.  Then next day comes and goes, another day and then more days of anticipating until the news that another candidate has been selected or there is a change in the hiring direction.  This is a cliff where the high expectation turn to a low disappointment.
• You run into a long period of no action.  It seems all applications go to a black hole. What happens?
• You finish an interview, and the interviewers end the conversation making you feel chance-less for a job that you consider qualified when you apply.
• And believe me, more forms of cliff.

Like the law of physics, after a cliff fall,  it takes extra anti-gravitational energy to get back up and it is not easy.  It is good for the endurance test.  It is even more challenging to get back up higher, and to-be-ready for another cliff.

Some thoughts to climb out of the hole from the fall over the cliff…

– Think of the positives.  It is encouraging to go deep in the process, than not getting started.  It is like “well, you are the runner up”, while the defeat is hard, it is still a good show.   You have conversations with more folks of this company than many other jobs that you have ever applied, aren’t you?  Not everyone is a born positive thinker.  Next …

– Distraction.  Most are born with natural survival and recovery ability, often it takes time. Some take a couple of hours, a day, some take much longer to recover from a rejection.  Distraction can be in the form of doing something related to a hobby, reading a book, sports…   If you run out of ideas, then just trying something easy and new.  For example, if you are never a music person, try to pick up a crazy teenager music from the library; or pick up a new free class, from the zillions of web sites.

– Keep getting at it.  The best recovery is to create new hope and opportunities.  That means, going back to the drawing board, be it be more job applications or more networking.

– Be Better.  The good news is there is always room for improvement.  If you get the offer, it feels like the end of the journey; if you don’t get it, it forces reflection.  These reflections are pre-mortem for the next opportunities.   If you are in a job search group, it is a good window to ask for feedback.  Failure, to get what has been expected, helps to grow character and resilience.

I wish all to be healthy and happy 1314.

Posted in Career Management