As Long As There's A Possibility, There's Hope

I was talking to a fellow career counselor today, sharing details of my recent and upcoming activity.  He was really excited about and impressed by the meetings I have lined up.  Most are network meetings, with no open jobs that I'm aware of.  Some are related to volunteer work.  My approach is to talk to as many people as I can with the belief that I will be well positioned when openings arise. 

I'm always enthusiastic and pleased when my clients tell me they're out there talking to people.  In some cases these are network meetings and in others they are actual job interviews.  My roll as a 'fan and cheerleader' is to reinforce the fact that the more people they talk to, the more likely it is that they'll land sooner rather than later.

I must admit that I'm more positive and upbeat when I know I have meetings lined up.  It's too easy to become discouraged and hopeless when I have nothing in the works.  And, the more discouraged and hopeless, the less I feel motivated to work on my search, the more discouraged and hopeless I become.  It is a vicious cycle.

The lesson - just keep chugging.  Keep checking the web sites, going to networking meetings, job fairs and anything else you can do to make sure you have something on the job search 'to do' list.  Find a place to volunteer your services to help productively fill the down time.  Getting out and doing something meaningful will make you feel more useful and positive which will keep your job search energy flowing.  I'm not sure what the opposite of a vicious cycle is.  I just know that keeping active helps you keep positive and keep moving.  When you keep moving, things are bound to happen!