Her voice sounded urgent as she rapidly described her work experience over the phone and shared her career goals. I calmly noted her answers as I peeked into her professional life and explained how I could support her. She suddenly stopped speaking and asked a question with exasperation evident in her voice, "I've been through so many career coaches. I've worked on my resume multiple times and have given a dozen mock interviews. I don't want to know all that. I just wanted to know one thing. How can I guarantee that I am successful in this job-search process?" I took a deep breath as I reflected on her question. She had asked me the number 1 question in my experience as a career coach. So I gently asked her back in a little suspenseful tone, "Are you just asking or do you really want to know?" She paused, and I could feel her think as she spoke the next words, "I really want to know." "Well," I respond, "Your success is determined by just one word - Attitude!"
Attitude, according to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, means "a position assumed for a specific purpose". The power of the word 'attitude' in the context of a successful career and job-search process lies in the definition itself:
Specific purpose: Why are you in the job search or career development process? What is the outcome that you are trying to achieve? Why is this process important to you? Are you here because of your circumstances or because of your free will? How far are you ready to go to make it? How will you know you've made it?
(Your) Position: Are you here to be a winner, no matter what? Are you here because you know who you are and what you can contribute to this world? Do you believe that there is more good in this world than bad? Are people mostly good according to you? Do you believe that you have the power to create strong, empowering and enjoyable experiences for yourself and others?
These are just some of the questions that explore a person's attitude. The answers you give to these questions determine your attitude and finally how successful you will be. I asked my client the same questions. To let you on to a little secret, her answer to the last question - Do you believe that you have the power to create strong, empowering and enjoyable experiences for yourself and others? was a straight "YES". Three weeks after our conversation, she found employment in the field of her interest, as a surveillance supervisor in the entertainment industry. It wasn't her dream job, but it was a start, her second step to her dream job. What was the first step you ask? Well, it's just one word - Attitude!
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