Into everyone’s life, difficulties will fall. They’re what makes us stronger and wiser—but when it comes to your career, obstacles may feel downright frustrating. What divine power is preventing you from achieving your dreams? You may think, “What have I done to deserve this?!”
As the old adage goes, nothing worth having comes easy, career included. It’s the upward battle that helps you appreciate what you achieve when at last you reach it. Plus, challenges allow you to learn along the way. In fact, by viewing obstacles as opportunities, it makes them much easier to weather.
Three ways to turn hurdles into advantages
Hard work isn’t bad and almost always pays off. So to maintain a positive attitude, think of obstacles in the following ways:
As steps on the way to your goal.
As carefully as you have made your career plans, it’s possible you didn’t think of everything—and that’s where hurdles come in! Use them as reminders of what you need to work on, learn or even overcome. Can’t seem to find a job opening to apply to? Fine—refine your search skills. You can network with old colleagues, contact a recruiter or attend job fairs. Not qualified for a job? That’s OK—do you need additional experience or education? What can you learn that will prepare you for a future opening? By letting obstacles guide you, you’ll be much more prepared once your dream job becomes available.
As a way to focus on what you can control.
Some things are out of your control; for example, the state of the job market or availability of open positions. But by focusing on what you can control, such as your job skills or industry knowledge, you can work your way around obstacles to find the green grass of opportunity on the other side.
As practice for controlling your reactions.
We can all use a little practice handling stressful situations. An obstacle may happen at the worst possible time and appear as something you just couldn’t have predicted. You can’t control everything that happens—that’s impossible, unless you have a crystal ball. But you can control your reaction to what happens. Don’t let obstacles get you down, no matter how hard it may seem to overcome them. Stay upbeat—the human mind is more productive in times of happiness than sorrow! You’ll find a solution, either on your own or by asking for guidance. And you’ll be that much wiser in the end.
Need help in your job search?
A common resolution for many in the New Year is finding a new job! If you’ve set this goal for 2017, you’re not alone. And if you could use a little help along the way, contact Snelling Georgia Group. We’ll help you find a job you love in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. To learn more, contact us today!
