Beliefs as obstacles to a successful job search

Topics

• Job seeking

Did you get left out of the hiring process because you’re too old or too young? Too inexperienced or too experienced? Too much of this or too much of that, not enough of something else, or just a little off in some other way? Maybe so, or maybe not. It’s impossible to know the real reasons behind hiring decisions, and applicants often have to settle for guessing what it was all about. Is the rejection letter due to the very reason you first thought of? Are you absolutely sure?

Harmful beliefs make things more difficult

In my previous article, I discussed how career changers, generalists, and seasoned professionals frame their job searches, and I suggested that, for example, an older applicant might attribute past rejection decisions specifically to their age. So, are people discriminated against based on their age when job hunting? Yes, it happens (see, for example, this study on the topic), even though it is prohibited under the Equality Act.

The real reason behind hiring decisions is rarely known, and applicants often feel that negative hiring decisions are due specifically to a factor that feels significant to them. For example, someone changing careers may feel that their job search stalls because they are switching fields, while a generalist may blame poor results on a professional profile that is difficult to define for a multi-skilled individual.

Both may be right, but it’s rare to find concrete evidence to support these claims. In particular, an applicant who feels they’re being excluded from the hiring process because of their age will never hear, “Unfortunately, you weren’t selected because you’re too old” – instead, the applicant assumes this is the reason. Sometimes the assumption is justified and accurate, but not always.

When you’re passed over in a recruitment process, no matter what you assume the reason to be, you might be wrong. Or do you know for certain on what basis the selection was made? Even the statement in rejection letters that “we prioritized factor X in our selection” tells you absolutely nothing with certainty about any individual applicant who was not selected or the reasons for their rejection.

Are you absolutely certain that your application process ended for exactly the reason you think it did? Absolutely certain? How would you feel if your belief were true? And how would you feel if it weren’t true? What would be possible then?

The worst enemy in your job search may be found in the mirror

Even though the job market is tough, and qualified people who are perfectly suited for the job often fall through the cracks in the recruitment process, our worst enemy in the job search is often ourselves. Instead of trying to figure out the reasons behind vague hiring decisions, however, we can choose to focus on the things we can influence—such as identifying and articulating aspects of our job search that will convince the recruiter we can succeed in the role we’re applying for. You can find tips on this in my previous article.

Ultimately, every applicant’s situation is unique, and everyone faces their own challenges when it comes to articulating their job search. It can help to focus your communication from the recruiter’s perspective and explain why you’re capable of succeeding in the specific job you’re applying for, while setting aside limiting beliefs.

Break down harmful beliefs with four questions:

• Is your belief true? For example, is it true that you weren’t selected for the position because you’re a certain age? Answer yes or no.
• Do you know with 100 percent certainty that it’s true? For example, do you have evidence that would allow you to sue the hiring company for age discrimination? Answer yes or no.
• How do you react, and what happens when you believe this to be true? What images do you see? What emotions do you feel? For example, what do you think of the recruiter whom you believe rejected you because of your age? Close your eyes and tune into your thoughts and feelings.
• Who would you be without this belief? What would be possible if your belief weren’t true? What do you think of yourself? What do you think of a recruiter who rejected you for a reason other than your age? Close your eyes: what do you feel?
  
  Source: https://thework.com/instruction-the-work-byron-katie/

Once you recognize a belief as just a belief, you can begin to work on it. When you no longer think, “I was rejected because of my age,” but rather “I have a belief that I was rejected because of my age”, you’ll be able to build new, more positive beliefs and change your way of thinking.

Esa Hukkanen

Career expert

Esa is an experienced career expert, coach and trainer who has helped many career changers, generalists and seasoned professionals with their individual job searches and career transitions.