Outplacement Coaching: The Hidden Power of Positivity

A close friend unexpectedly found himself in the throes job transition due to a large, company-wide restructuring. While this is unfortunate, it inspired me to explore an area of job loss that few ever consider: the power of positive thinking and how losing a job can, in some ways, be freeing.

Yes, you heard that right. Losing a job is definitely a stressful event, but it can also be a time in your life to explore your options, options that you may have never considered without the event occuring.

Let’s dig into it:

Outplacement Coaching: The Hidden Positive Side of Job Seeking

Being displaced from a job in a layoff can be an empowering and transformational time for designing a better life for yourself if you are able to maintain a positive attitude throughout the process.

I consistently remind my coaching clients about the importance and power of a positive attitude for this very reason. A positive attitude can have an incredible impact, helping us  believe in ourselves more, inspiring bigger goals, changing the way we interact with others, and how we think about our futures. In short, it’s a reflective period that job seekers should utilize.

Outplacement Coaching: Dealing With Negativity

If a coaching client has a negative attitude, is angry at their previous employer or the world, I quickly discuss with them the importance of changing their mindset and focusing on the benefits of being in job transition.

Clients often need a little break to reflect, refresh, and think about what they want to do next. What will make them happy? What do they want to spend eight hours on everyday? Were they truly happy in their last role?

I remind them that this can be an open door for endless possibilities. A time to think about their strengths, what they enjoy doing the most. This is a time to pursue, create, and explore their career options.

Outplacement Coaching: Success and Posivity

An optimistic attitude is very powerful and will have an amazing impact on a job search. I see proven results daily showcasing that those who dream bigger and believe in themselves will have a better future and will obtain a job much faster than those with a negative attitude.

After all, who wants to be around a miserable negative person and – worst of all – work with someone with a bad attitude? No one, which dramatically impacts the chances of the negative person getting hired.

It stands ot reason that people who are more positive will do better on interviews and be willing to take the extra step when it comes to looking for their next job. If someone is all doom and gloom, it makes things harder as a whole. 

Okay, you’re probably thinking to yourself, but how can you really control these emotions? Sure, we all want to be happy and positive, but being laid off is a very, very stressful time that is full of emotion.

That’s a good question, which leads us to our next section:

Outplacement Coaching: How to Become More Positive 

Here are a few suggestions to help you keep the positive mindset during a career transition:

1. Look at your job search as your job for now. Make a daily schedule like you would have at a job, which should include applying for jobs, networking (social media and face-to-face), attending networking events, listing and reaching out to target companies, doing industry and company research, and exploring new career options that you are interested in.

2. Persevere! Don’t let anything stop you from obtaining your dream job, better work/life balance, better pay, the desire fpr more of a challenge, or whatever you want most in your next position. That job is out there.

3. Ask for help from friends and family or hire a professional career coach to support you and provide tools to help you obtain a job more quickly.

While these tips will definitely help you look at your job search in a new light, there are a few others that can help you with being generally more positive during this tough time, too. 

• Allow time with people important to you, enjoy hobbies, and other interests that make you happy.
• Don’t get discouraged if every job interview is not a success. The position may not be a good fit, the company may have hired someone else from within the company, they may have decided not to hire anyone. Don’t take it personally. You will get a job offer for the right position and the right company eventually. Someone will hire you without hesitation, someone who knows that you will add value to the position and will be a good cultural fit. That is what we all want! Sometimes you must be a little patient to find the best career fit and you will be happier and more successful in the long run.
• Pay it forward! Do some volunteer work to help others. You will feel good about giving back and will be making a difference in the lives of others. You may also expand your network while helping others.

If you follow these simple steps, you can have a better, less stressful job hunt. You will feel better about the outplacement process, your former employer, and those around you. Not only will this make the search easier for you on an emotional level, it might very well help you land a role because you’ll be more appealing to hiring managers. 

Want to learn more about our outplacement coaching techniques? Schedule a demo today: