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6 Steps to Take to Embrace Life Head-On
There Is Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself
Those words were said with tremendous conviction by Franklin Delano Roosevelt back in 1933 at his Inaugural Presidential Address, and given the economic conditions of that time, it is no wonder that those same words are echoing around the world once again. Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; and is most often articulated as the feeling or condition of being afraid. As with all moments where we find ourselves at a crossroads, that good old “fight or flight” response kicks in, and the direction we choose determines a set of immediate to short-term events that impact the rest of our lives. Oftentimes, we know what we should do next but we hesitate, procrastinate, feel a generalized sense of paralysis, as we fear not only the issue or thing itself but also fear making the wrong decision or not being able to handle the outcome. Sound familiar?
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Often, we can placate our fears simply be taking action. A sense of productive momentum can usually work wonders or at least get us through the day. Here are active steps you can take to firmly set your course:
1. The 5 Why’s: This is a quality tool that I use frequently in my own life and encourage others to use in a variety of situations. The “5 why’s” is an activity that simply starts with a statement that is stuck in your head, such as, “I’m afraid” and asks the first “Why?”. You might answer, “Because I might not find another job”, at which point you ask a second “why”, such as “Why is not finding another job considered scary?”. This may yield a response such as, ” Because I’ve always had a job and been able to provide for my family”. The third why and beyond gets you into the real heart of the matter. Variations on responses might include feeling “less than” which means your sense of identity has been shaken to the core, or “I’ll starve” which hits upon basic, physical needs, or “being found inadequate and being left behind” which are fears around social needs. Write down whatever you come up with as this will guide your next steps, because awareness is the first step in creating real change.
2. Uncover Your F.E.A.R.: The word FEAR also serves as an acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real. Look at your 5 Why’s again. Determine which are truly real and likely outcomes and which might be truly perceptual yet unfounded, in nature. Keep in mind that each could be seen as real or imagined by different people. A recent article in The Atlantic by Don Peck around the impacts of extended joblessness captured the sense of failure felt by men and the toll it can take on their marriages. In this instance, the strength of the marriage is ultimately the determinant of whether the “fear of being left” is very real or more of a false perception. How do you know? Face your fear and ASK. Talk about it. The current economy has many people taking about things previously left unsaid, or taken to a level where raw vulnerabilities are exposed. Uncomfortable, yes, yet ultimately necessary.
3. What-If’s: For each Why response, go ahead and ask yourself, “What If?” as a practical yet theoretical exercise. This allows you to philosophically ferret out likely versus unlikely scenarios and in many cases relieve the magnitude of the fear surrounding them. You may find it helpful to pretend someone else is asking you for this advice instead, in order to depersonalize it for you. So long as you can see what actions can be taken around any given scenario, the less likely you are to fear it, because you’ve now given yourself the sense that you can “do” something. Personal power comes from confidence. Confidence comes from knowing who you are and what you can do when called upon. These coping strategies are what will help you survive a crisis.
4. Get Grounded: In order to build confidence, you must start with the core belief that you are a good person, you are a worthy human being, and that you will survive whatever confronts you today. Whether you take a walk, pray, meditate, work out or whatever your prefer, get grounded. Imagine scooping out of yourself all the worry, anxiety and fear, and throwing it out with the weekly trash. Practice deep breathing, positive affirmations, and find a sense of inner peace. Tune out all worries and potential distractions. Reflect on what is good in your life and give those things more weight than the bad. Think about successes you have achieved at earlier points in your life. Remind yourself what is most important. This is, in essence, your starting point.
5. Get Help: This is not a sign of weakness. I repeat, this is not a sign of weakness. Think of it this way… no matter if you are 21 or 41 or 61, you are still “growing up” in some way. You still have things to learn. The world is changing. People change. Solutions change. You change. At any given time, you may find yourself in new and uncharted territory. If that isn’t enough to persuade you, remember this famous quote by Albert Einstein, “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it”. Get help getting grounded, in approaching a specific problem, with your resume and job search approach, or whatever it is that you perceive to be the biggest barrier to your continued success and happiness. And remember, too, that sometimes what we need help with is the act of letting go. If something simply is no longer sustainable, let it go.
6. Fight, Not Flight: You will never outrun your fear. It isn’t possible. You can hide from it for awhile, but it will find you, catch up to you, and force you to reckon with it. Change is inevitable, too, as we find new solutions to problems, or change our attitude to lessen the weight of a problem. It is one of those truly common bonds of human nature. So, identify your fears, throw them on the table in front of you, break them into manageable chunks, and get help – face those fears head on. You’ll be stronger and wiser for it. Plus, you’ll be able to remember this as one of your successes the next time fear takes hold.
Keep your faith in yourself, stay the course, and don’t give up. You can do this!
-Lisa
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933, as published in Samuel Rosenman, ed., The Public Papers of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Volume Two: The Year of Crisis, 1933 (New York: Random House, 1938), 11–16. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/
What This Means For YOU
The Recession is Over, But…
We finally hit bottom and are on the rebound. However, the deep trauma that results from extended periods of joblessness is just beginning to make itself seen and felt. Take for example the renaming of Generation Y (a.k.a. the Millennials) as “The Recession Generation” in an article in the March issue of The Atlantic magazine, titled “How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America”. Here are 3 short video clips to get you warmed up. Reading the entire article is highly recommended but not before bed as you might not be able to sleep. It alludes to a serious call-to-social-action for educators, healthcare personnel, parents, spouses, non-profit agencies, and employers.
The Unemployment Rate’s Impact:
While the unemployment rate dropped in early February from 10.0% to 9.7%, it was calculated at 17.4% in October 2009 when including the broader definitions of unemployment. As previously noted, the notion of a “jobless recovery” has been largely ruled out. More significant than the rate itself by any calculation is the long term impact, especially on: marriages, new graduates, “manliness”, definitions of success, desired skill sets, already impoverished communities, the marginalization of white males, and the likelihood that, as The Atlantic reported, “within the next few months, for the first time in U.S. history, women will hold a majority of the country’s jobs”. These are not necessarily new ideas but when viewed altogether the suggested impacts appear very real, indeed. Anyone else envisioning time-honored fairy tales being re-written in a rush?
Appreciation, Innovation and Required Skill Sets:
Many companies, families and individuals have been operating on such a lean scale that it is difficult to imagine there are further efficiencies to be gained. If efficiencies have flat-lined, then real change can only come from, well, real change. If jobs are too few for the people who seek them, then new goals must be identified and pursued. The balance must shift from what we want but don’t have to what we have (or can have) and want. This idea of appreciating what is right in front of us is also not new yet as a culture we haven’t had much practice or success in actually pulling it off. Given the continued tearing of the social fabric, locally and globally, the time may be truly ripe to invent or design a new source of material to replace the materialism that helped land us in this predicament in the first place. The need for innovation is great in terms of distribution of a vast a rray of services, financial literacy, how we cultivate new leaders, and most importantly, how to create jobs and real monetary gain where it doesn’t yet exist. Jobs as we know them are not coming back. Instead of mourning the loss and assigning blame, we need to get busy and employ our critical thinking skills and penchant for perseverance.
Be creative. Share your ideas. Take the lead. You can do this!
-Lisa
What These Ideas Mean to YOU
The Recession is Over:
On February 7, 2010, Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said, “The recession is over.” However, there is still significant slack in the labor force that will take time to be absorbed. It is estimated that 15-20 million new jobs are needed to get the U.S. back to full employment. The silver lining? We finally hit bottom and are on the rebound.
The Unemployment Rate:
Also in early February, the latest U.S. unemployment data was released, showing a drop from 10.0% to 9.7%. This was hard to cheer about when the average American citizen was hard-pressed to see concrete examples of this in their own communities. Immediately following the news, additional analysis revealed that an additional 824,000 jobs lost had not been factored in to the latest published figures. Stock indexes fell sharply as a result. With 8 million jobs lost and only 3.5 million planned to be created or saved as part of stimulus initiatives, it is hard to see exactly how White House economists envision an unemployment rate of 8.2% in 2012. The notion of a “jobless recovery” has been largely ruled out.
Doing More with Less and Other Entrepreneurial Lessons:
Companies have been operating on such a lean scale that it is difficult to imagine there are further efficiencies to be gained. In fact, it is unlikely that “doing more with less” is truly sustainable over the long haul bringing into question the rallying cry for continuous quality improvement that has been in play for decades. In the meantime, those unemployed and underemployed continue to struggle. However, and on a note of eternal optimism, those who need a way tend to find a way. Companies and individuals are tackling the “adapt or fail” response, head on. Telecommuting is on the rise. So is self-employment, especially with products and services requiring little to no start-up capital. And as Entrepreneur.com tells us, “Results from Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ job market index revealed that 8.7 percent of job seekers gained employment by starting their own businesses in second quarter 2009–way, way up from the record low of 2.7 percent during the last quarter of 2008″. Find an alternative path.
Economic Trends and Related Data:
Moody’s Economy.com produces an amazing Global Recession Map that shows a quick view status update. There is also a Recovery Map for U.S. States. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has a number of charts to test your chart-reading skills, with Chart 4 on job losses being of particular interest. The Brookings Institution has created MetroMonitor charts to see changes by city.
Last note: Economic recovery takes time. How much time? As much time as it takes. Keep your hope, faith and ENERGY alive. You can do this!
-Lisa
What To Do When You Get “No Response”
Looking for Root Cause:
Last week, I summarized a jobseeker’s frustration around applying for many, many positions and hearing little if anything back from those companies. In short, getting the silent treatment. This week, I looked for concrete solutions and signs of change. So, I focused attention on my HR colleagues around the US and beyond who have been laid off and are now experiencing the search and selection process from the “other side of the desk”. They are in the perfect position to fully appreciate the need for timely status checks as well as feedback to determine areas of applicant improvement while balancing the need for caution surrounding responses within a litigious climate.
Reasons HR Gives for NOT Answering:
Let me preface, some HR Managers do give feedback. However, it is not uncommon for companies to have clear and explicit policies around such feedback, specifically that it not be provided. Many people are not about to risk their own jobs in order to ignore such prescriptive approaches. Others believe that if a candidate is in need of feedback, they should be willing to hire a career coach, whose job it is to provide fee-based, unbiased, practical feedback. Even those who DO respond, such feedback tends to be vague and generic. Another HR pro recalled the line from “A Few Good Men”, where Jack Nicholson’s character says, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”. And let’s face it, there are some candidates with such poor resumes and interviewing skills (along with a high level of defensiveness), that quick feedback simply isn’t possible. Add to the mix those who are ever in need of someone to blame. It is the classic case of the few ruining it for the many. There are those in HR who would gladly give such feedback and can appreciate the need for balance between the extremes. More would do so, if they could provide feedback without fear of personal or corporate retaliation. And given how busy and short-staffed everyone is these days, the sheer volume of applicants makes the art of giving feedback simply unmanageable.
Reality Check:
Search and selection choices almost always come down to the “IT” factor. In other words, as an applicant, you must have “IT”: likability, excellent communication skills, a polished appearance, and the technical skills to do the job – in that order! Those who do, in my opinion, tend to get hired quicker and can overcome those issues in their work history or educational gaps, so long as education doesn’t preclude certification and licensure required for the job. Yes, it can be quite subjective, especially when factors of experience and education are viewed as roughly equivalent. When faced with the prospect of telling an applicant they just weren’t “IT”, many HR Managers and recruiters will choose not to because the feedback is ultimately personal and subjective, which is hard to give and harder to take. Many companies strive to make their processes as objective as possible. Such processes involve establishing clear minimum qualifications, using a checklist to determine who can meet such needs, and involving several screeners and interviewers to cast a broad net of evaluation. In the end, it is still a subjective choice of who the company reps can truly visualize in the role and is most likely to succeed in that culture, given the information they’ve been able to gather in a relatively short amount of time.
Lesson to be learned:
Processes will continue as-is. What can YOU do about it? Be at your very BEST, across all phases of the job search process, and be able to gauge your competition. Never assume that your activities are “good enough”. There is always someone truly ready, willing, and able to meet a company’s needs and can demonstrate it without a moment’s hesitation and is also ultimately likable. Is that “someone” YOU?
Last note: this process takes time. How much time? As much time as it takes. Keep your hope, faith and ENERGY alive. You can do this!
-Lisa
What To Do When You Get “No Response”
Level of Engagement:
A frustrated jobseeker recently said to me: “I have applied for so many jobs but I rarely ever hear anything back. Why are companies so rude?” My response: Look first to the level of engagement you fostered with your application activities. If all you did was apply online for a generically posted job with a company you don’t know anything about – don’t be surprised if you never hear anything further. If you haven’t invested much in them; chances are they won’t invest much in you, either. You might get an automated response, as soon as you hit “Submit” or shortly thereafter by email. While that IS a response, you can do better!
Re-think Your Approach:
The number one thing you can do when applying for jobs is to send a targeted, customized resume and cover letter (wait – don’t stop there!) based on intelligence gathered first, which includes building and maintaining internal connections with the company in question. Instead of saying, “But I don’t know anyone there”, start by looking at companies where you DO already know someone. Talk to 10 people you know who are employed and ask about the companies they work for. Gain insider information. Ask about company culture, how they are organized, strategic objectives, management style, and actual job titles they use to describe positions that align with your talents. Do not worry about whether or not those companies are currently hiring. The point is, they WILL, sooner or later. So start building those connections now.
Reality Check:
It is true; the “perfect” posting is often far from perfect. There may be 400 applicants for it. It may be so detailed that only one person in a million would be perfectly qualified. Some HR departments avoid phone calls like the plague. Others have no actual experience with the jobseeker-end of their own applicant tracking systems thus having no idea how un-user-friendly their processes really are. The hiring manager (a.k.a. subject matter expert for the position in question) may not be involved in the initial screening process. Posted positions are not always well-budgeted for or there is restructuring afoot or there is already an internal candidate all picked and primed.
Lesson to be learned: the best way to know if your resume writing and related application activities are worth the time and effort, is to gather more information FIRST. Hiring is at the discretion of the company. You need to meet their needs first before they will meet yours. And there is always someone truly ready, willing, and able to meet those needs and can demonstrate it without a moment’s hesitation. Is that “someone” YOU?
Last note: this process takes time. How much time? As much time as it takes. Keep your hope, faith and ENERGY alive. You can do this!
-Lisa
How do you respond to questions about salary?
You will likely be asked to discuss salary in your cover letter, in screening interviews by phone, in person during a formal interview, and during offer negotiations. There are several ways to handle this touchy subject.
#1 Rule: Get the prospective employer to state a figure first.
When asked to state your salary requirements or history in your cover letter – don’t – unless you actually know the salary range of the desired position. If you do not know the range, indicate instead that you would be happy to discuss salary in an interview. Some postings indicate that candidates will not be considered unless such information is provided. If this is the case – do your homework first – then respond accordingly. How and to what extent you support yourself and your family should not be reduced to uninformed “guesswork”.
#2 Rule: What is most important is the extent to which your skills will be a great fit within the prospective organization. When the interviewer wants to focus on your current salary, confidently reply that you might not consider your current salary as comparable to the scope of the position currently open for hire and should an offer be made you trust that the offer will be fair. Then turn their attention back to the skills needed, the expectations for success, the company culture. Show them that salary is a secondary consideration to be tabled for later. The first order of business is to fully understand the scope of the new position. Without it, you cannot adequately assess what would or would not be a fair compensation package.
If the interviewer pushes hard for you to respond directly to salary questions (be prepared for this to happen), turn the question back upon them by asking for both the hiring range of the position and the full salary range (the hiring range may be a subset of the salary range). If you are still pressed for a range, have a prepared response based on prior research. Do not provide a range that is truly less than what you can legitimately accept. If you feel unduly pressured or intimidated, think twice about what this tells you about their management style or company culture and whether or not you really want to work there. If all else fails, provide them with a range of 10K-20K more than your current salary, or more if your research supports it. You do not want to come across as stubborn or arrogant here, so tread carefully. You also do not want to price yourself out of a job if getting the job is the most important thing to you. And no matter how much you want, you must be able to demonstrate that your talents and contributions will be worth the money. Most employers won’t begrudge top salaries when aligned with top performance.
Summary: do your research, prepare a range of responses, and do your very best to get them to provide the first number or range. If you require more than they are willing to give, continue to counter as long as you can, and make the best decisions for yourself based upon what you learn.
Last piece of advice (or #3 Rule): When the employer makes you an actual offer of employment and indicates the salary, pause. Literally – stay quiet up to a full minute if needed though you can make thoughtful “mmm” noises as you “consider” their offer. You want them to fill the silence first. They will either say something that starts the actual negotiating process OR let you know there is no room for negotiation. You need to find out which way it can go.
Bonus Info:
Good luck!
-Lisa
The number and quality of the interviews you get are a direct reflection of how strong your job search strategy is. How many interviews are you getting? Not enough? Here is information to help get you started and improve the quality of those interactions:
Informational Interviews:
Informational interviews are excellent tools for gathering intelligence: about a company or a particular role in terms of its purpose and scope, to assess the caliber of your competition, or to get a better feel for key personalities and company culture. Such interviews are initiated by YOU. They can occur in places you already work and want to advance further. You can outreach to people in organizations of interest to you. Informational interviews can occur in person, on the phone, by e-mail – and can be as short as 5 minutes or last over an hour. In any case, you need to listen far more than you speak in an informational interview scenario. This is an exercise in information gathering, not selling yourself. You don’t know how best to sell your own talents until you know what their needs are. Don’t jump ahead. The goal is to gather enough information so that you can follow up with your resume and cover letter, making a case for them to consider you for current and future positions of particular interest. Be specific, not general, in that second-phase outreach. Casting a wide net within a single organization actually dilutes your efforts.
Phone Screens:
Phone screening is a common interview technique. It saves both time and money while helping to narrow down the applicant pool for an open position. You need to prepare for a phone screen as much as you would for a formal interview. It starts when they call you to set up a mutually convenient time. Always be at the ready: have a professional tone of voice when answering calls; have a short and professional outgoing message on your voicemail (no music). If you don’t recognize the number calling and are actively job searching, let the call go to voicemail to ensure you respond appropriately. Keep a listing handy of where you’ve applied and for what position so you can reference it quickly and with confidence. Know your calendar.
Once scheduled, do as much research as possible in addition to preparing yourself to answer questions. Look up the company website, understand their mission, and read the position description very carefully to note which items are strengths or weaknesses for you. Rehearse your answers to all common interview questions (widely available online). During the call, take advantage of the ability to have materials in front of you to reference at any point. The phone screen’s objective is to clarify that you have the qualifications required (and desired) for the job, including work ethic and personality traits. Your goal is to convey that your skills are exactly what they are looking for, right now. If you are successful in doing so, they will talk to you about the next interview phase – either that day or within a few days of the screening call.
Formal, In-person Interviews:
This will be scheduled in advance. During the scheduling call, learn about dress code, what materials to bring with you, who you will be meeting with and their role, directions to their location, and how much time to expect to be there. Is your interview primarily with HR or will the hiring manager also be there? Will potential team members and co-workers be present? The more people you are scheduled to meet, the better your chances of success because they would not coordinate that many people if your qualifications were in question. Your goal is to be well-versed in the position details, to give concrete examples of previous successes that have prepared you for this role, and to come across as intelligent and likable. There are numerous sites online dedicated to helping you prepare for formal interviews; check them out! This includes not only how to best answer questions, but to sketch out your success stories in advance, and to ensure your presentation style is as free from flaws and distractions as possible.
Final Round:
This may be the second or third time you connect with HR, the hiring manager, and potential colleagues within the prospective organization. You may meet them individually, in small groups, or as a larger panel – be sure to ask in advance what to expect. It is possible, especially for entry-level positions, that your first formal interview will also constitute the final round. What you ultimately want to convey is that the position description is well understood, and that you have the necessary resources to succeed in the role. And if you do not have all the resources you think you will need, negotiate for them during the offer phase. Beyond that, make it very clear that you are ready, willing, and able to do the job – and that you are eager to get started.
With any type of interview, be sure to genuinely thank each person who took time out of their day to meet with you. A personal, hand written note is still an extra nice touch. To do so, collect the business cards of everyone you meet. Make it a habit.
You can do this! Good luck!
-Lisa
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Nobody’s Going to “Give” It To You
Looking at Current Realities:
I’ve recently been asked the question, “Why won’t anyone give me a chance?” My response: there isn’t much incentive for employers to “give” someone a chance unless they see clearly how it will benefit them. While the question is likely borne out of discouragement and exhaustion, and understandably so, it undermines the job search or advancement process by suggesting an expectation of entitlement.
We all have to establish our merits on our own and market them accordingly. We are all project managers in one sense or another. We understand the need to construct a justification, solicit buy-in, counter opposition, and make the outcome clear and tangible for those whom we cannot succeed without (in this case, employers). It runs parallel to how small business owners need to market effectively (and consistently) to gain the exposure and credibility in order to expand. Bad breaks happen; lucky ones do, too. But much of your day is comprised of what you choose to do and act upon. How will you live today?
Re-frame Your Expectations:
It is this type of phrasing, about “wanting to be given a chance”, that I would encourage people to look at closely and re-frame in a way that gives you, the job seeker or corporate climber, a greater sense of control over your destiny. Yes, this can be further complicated by cultural and social norms. One can argue about power structures and about how much control anyone really has. A double-edged sword, to be sure! The point is to take control when and where you can – starting with YOU.
Reality Check:
What is so interesting about this current job market is that it has forced all job seekers to take on an unpaid sales internship in the school of life even though a good chunk of the population (US, India, you name it) would never pursue a sales position because it runs counter to how (un)comfortable they are in presenting themselves to others. Its like we’re all participating in some kind of global strengths-building exercise.
You might consider the above message to be something of a “no-brainer”. That said, be vigilant against uttering such defeating phrases (such as those to the right) throughout your search or quest for advancement.
Keep your hope, faith and ENERGY alive. You can do this!
-Lisa
It Is Rough Out There:
I hear stories from job seekers, corporate climbers and dream catchers every day. What do many of them have in common these days? The “grass is greener” syndrome. This is a common affliction… thinking that those who are “younger”, “prettier”, or with “more education” somehow have it better or easier in the current job market. Funny thing is, when I hear from those that are younger, more educated, live in urban areas, are in a different industry… you name it, they are saying the same things. It is rough out there for just about everyone. The new grads don’t have any experience and can’t compete with more seasoned workers. Older workers may be viewed as too expensive. Those in sparsely populated areas don’t have nearly enough jobs to go around and those in urban areas contend with ultra-fierce competition for the jobs that do exist.
Accept and Appreciate YOU:
Conventional advice tells us that when we are given “lemons”, to make lemonade. And that, as we all know, starts with attitude and believing in ourselves. Now, are some scenarios more challenging than others? Yes. The point is that we all have something that can hold us back, whether real or perceived. The trick is to manage around whatever “it” is. I hear too many people “stuck” on what they fear is their biggest hurdle or obstacle. Focus on the positives, not the negatives. While you cannot change the larger social phenomenon occurring, you can adopt a healthier outlook about yourself. That may mean you need to make the best of a less-than-desirable situation until the economy turns around. While glimmers of hope are appearing on the horizon, the economic chokehold may not ease its grip until the end of the year.
Find Out, Never Assume:
I’ve shared this before, and do so again here: Check your assumptions at the door. These could be assumptions about your resume, job search strategy, opportunities that do or don’t exist, your age, your industry, your certifications… you name it. Question your sources of information. What qualifications do the people have who are providing you with advice. Are they providing you with real, usable knowledge? Or are they simply fueling your assumptions? One useful starting point: 2008-2018 Employment Outlook produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, published November 2009. Previous employment projections were based on 2006-2016 horizon and had not taken current economic conditions into consideration. And the number one lesson learned: economic cycles are ever in motion and this too shall pass.
Nobody’s perfect. We all have something that holds us back. Here are just a few and tips to overcome:
Age: While you can de-age your resume, stay trim, or color your hair if you really want to, the biggest fix is to stop treating your age as a handicap. Doing so practically ensures your age will remain the “elephant in the room” for you and everybody you speak to about job prospects and when networking. Embrace all that you have to offer and move forward with confidence.
Education: This is something you can change though it takes time, and right now you may have plenty of time of which to take advantage. Look at shorter-term solutions first. Whatever route you choose, make sure it aligns well with your longer-term goals.
Criminal Background: Turn your life around. Know which occupations you are precluded from and for how long. Do something else for awhile. Build your work history and good reputation. Get support.
Keep your hope, faith and ENERGY alive. You can do this! Think about how you can avoid letting your perceptions hold you back. Keep your focus fresh.
-Lisa
