4 July 2013

Is Your Glass Poorly Formed?

Okay, everybody relax your trigger fingers. This isn't a fluffy spiel on how everything is perfect in the world and your troubles are all make believe. In fact the market eerily resembles the cat's breakfast from three weeks ago that even the ants refuse to touch.

But is the fact that the sky is gloomy and the future uncertain really a reason not to be happy that I had the most amazing Thai food last night? That the Labour leadership spill was entertaining reality TV? That the Hawks are going to win a game this weekend?

Not really, is it?

It's time to pick up our overly large, collective if metaphoric bottom lip, pack up our troubles in our old kit bag and stop being so depressingly pessimistic!

Over the past couple of months we've been receiving more feedback from interviews on candidate's attitudes rather than their aptitude. A CV tells you whether a person has the skills and experience required for the role. The interview tells you whether you're going to want to smack your face repeatedly into a brick wall if you work with this person in a confined space. And you guessed it; the candidates with great attitudes went straight to the top of the pile.

So for this edition of Rock On we decided to give you some quick tips on projecting a more positive view of your employment glass:

1. Don't let it get you down. Rudd is Prime Minister again and Tony Abbott may take the top job. If you ever needed proof that anything is possible, here it is wrapped up with a shiny bow.
2. Your interviewer is not your therapist. When they ask you a question about a difficult time, they are asking how you handle adversity, not looking to hand you a tissue box.
3. Walk Tall! Nothing denotes a broken spirit more than the floor analysts slumped shoulders. Hold your head up high and project the confidence that you might not feel yet.
4. Choose a time to feel sorry for yourself. Seem counter intuitive? Well the sky is green. But this is actually an important step. If you bottle up a feeling it will without question fester and grow. Choose a time and place to let your feelings out in a healthy way.
5. As a matter of fact…. Facts are friends, emotions cause demotions. Well not quite but it rhymed and I'm feeling whimsical. Talk in facts, back 'feelings' up with something tangible.

The more you look into this the more obvious it becomes. If your glass is half full, people are happy to top it up. But if your glass is poorly formed and unfortunately placed, people generally prefer to put it in the back of the cupboard where they'll never have to look upon it again.

What does your glass look like?