Stuck. It’s how you feel when you've followed all the best advice, posted your resume on the major job sites, spread the word to friends and colleagues that you're looking, and you're still getting nowhere. You’re left wondering: "Will I ever get hired? Wouldn't any normal person have a job by now? What the #@$&% is wrong with me?"

Relax. Take a step back. You will work again. After a long period in the marketplace, you need to pause, review what you're doing, and reevaluate your approach. Begin with an assessment of where you're stuck. What’s not working for you? What are the obstacles in your way? What issues are you facing?

To identify possible barriers to your success in finding a new job, consider the following variables that commonly prolong a search:

The Uncontrollables. These are issues that you can't change personally, such as a poor economy, the decline of certain industries, and the obsolescence of particular job skills. You can't alter the state of the economy, but you can change the way you deal with it. In a down economy, traditional hiring processes -- answering ads, responding to job boards, signing on with recruiters -- dry up or, at best, become very competitive.

If 100 people apply for one advertised job, the initial hiring task is to narrow down the pile. Your resume is not viewed with an eye toward hiring you, but rather toward not hiring you. Ultimately, 99 of the applicants (maybe even 100) will receive a "thanks, but no thanks" reply. With those odds, you need to be able to handle rejection well.

You can choose to be frustrated and upset about not getting the job (or even an interview), or you could choose to not be frustrated and upset about it -- either way, the outcome is the same -- you still need a job. So choose wisely. Don’t waste your energy on the "uncontrollables."  Control what you can -- and let the other stuff go.

The Mechanics. These are the procedures, strategy and tactics you've deployed in your quest for a new job. If you've been operating with outdated assumptions about how the hiring process works, you've probably set yourself up for disappointment. With the workplace in a continual state of change, it is unlikely that job seeking methods that originated in the 1970s, 80s or even 90s are going to have much impact today.

To succeed in your job search you need more than a good resume; you need to be able to articulate your goals clearly, establish rapport quickly and promote yourself effectively. It’s not the most qualified candidate that gets the job; it's the candidate who knows best how to market the qualifications he or she has. If you don't know what you're looking for, you're not likely to have much success finding it. Unclear goals, unfocused activity and a resistance to networking can hold you back. Without a focus, your networking attempts will lead nowhere, and likely cause your job search to extend indefinitely.

You don't have to love networking (most of us don't), but you can do it. If it makes you feel like you're begging for help, chances are you're doing it all wrong. Get straight with yourself that you have some value, and that somebody out there is looking for it.

The best networking often occurs at those times when you're not formally networking -- when you bump into an acquaintance at the gym, the supermarket or a dinner party. It’s these occasions where your ability to talk about your situation in an upbeat way is critical.

People like to help, but they don't always know how. Tell them about your job search, what you're looking for and ask for their suggestions and ideas. Your friends and acquaintances want to help; they don't want to feel sorry for you. Make it easy on them.

Show them how they can help and let them feel good about themselves. You can always pay back later with an invitation to dinner, or by reciprocating at a time when they need help -- and they will.

The Subtleties. These are factors that relate to your attitude about your job search. During transition most of us behave in ways different from the norm. You may not be operating on "all of your cylinders.” Friends, colleagues, and quite possibly interviewers, are not seeing you as your full-functioning self, but rather as someone whose behavior is burdened by stress, worry and frustration.

During interviews, prospective employers evaluate your words, voice, tone, level of enthusiasm, facial expressions and poise to see how self-assured you are. How you communicate is as important as what you communicate. You can appear to be saying one thing, while your body language is communicating something else. Hiring managers may also eliminate you if you criticize previous employers, are unwilling to accept or discuss your joblessness, or convey a sense of desperation instead of value.

Projecting optimism when you may be feeling your worst is admittedly a challenge, but the single most important variable in landing a new job is your attitude. Accept that your ups and downs are cyclical, and manage them accordingly. When you're feeling down, take an afternoon off just for yourself -- work out, read, visit a museum -- so you can reenergize and reposition yourself for a more productive day tomorrow.

To keep from getting overly discouraged about a protracted search, honestly assess which of these three issues are affecting the duration of your search. Beware if you're focusing mostly on the "Uncontrollables."  Aside from your outlook, you have limited influence on these obstacles. And don't be discouraged if you recognize errors in the "Mechanics" or the "Subtleties" of your approach; these are the easiest to identify and correct.

After you've seen yourself "from the other side of the desk," you can make appropriate adjustments to your strategy and your behavior to position yourself better.

Even under optimal circumstances, job hunting is a challenge. However, you can take comfort in the fact that you'll inevitably find a new position. It’s likely, in fact, that you'll even improve your employment situation, landing a position that offers better compensation, benefits, responsibilities, commuting time or working relationships.

To move through this transition successfully, follow this simple formula of five "F"s:

Faith. Believe in yourself, no matter how tough it gets.

Family. Let your loved ones be a source of continuing support -- it's what they do best.

Friends. Maintain your friendships and seek their help -- "that's what friends are for."

Focus. Concentrate on what you want to do and zero in on places to do it.

Fight. Persist with your efforts and resist any urge to give up or withdraw.

Learn to truly believe in your value as an employee and let your attitude reflect this confidence. Employers won't hire you because you need a job; they'll hire you because you can contribute something to the organization. It’s up to you to communicate your worth. For the moment, this is your most important job.


© 2002, Career Planning and Management, Inc., Boston, MA.  All rights reserved.