I Tried That, and It Didn’t Work
When you are a career coach, job searchers often ask you for advice. Once you understand what the searcher is looking to do, you may make a suggestion. While there are many who will say “I had not thought of that. It makes sense to me,” there are a sizable number of people who will answer “I tried that and it didn’t work.”
And, I right away can usually tell from the way the response is given, the person’s body language and their desperation, this is a person who I will not be able to help. Even the best of advice does not always work. An individual can only control the actions that they take. At best, they can attempt to influence the response of another. However, really control the response and get the answer they want, no way. However, that does not mean the steps you have taken are necessarily not good ones. The same approaches that were used in one situation may be exactly what works when interacting with another.
I have a colleague that stresses to all the many job searchers he helps “Negative and depressed people do not get hired.” And, while continued rejection can bring one down and likely into a depressed state for a period of time, the only answer to move things forward is to reassess each situation one faces, develop one’s strategic approach and put it into action. While I will occasionally see a job searcher who is able to land that next position quickly, the majority do not. That is understandable. The hiring process is not in their control. It is in the hands of the one doing the hiring. And, for a number of reasons, but most of all the fact that the job opening that is needed to be filled is only one of numerous things on the hiring company’s agenda, the process of actually bringing the new hire on board is an elongated one.
Therefore, as you move forward in your search for whatever it is you are looking to obtain, don’t just immediately rule out an approach because you tried it once or twice and it did not work. I agree if you have tried it numerous times and nothing seems to happen with it, you do want to evaluate if you should be doing something differently. But, on approaches that come highly recommended from others for whom they have worked, review them from your own perspective. What parts of the process are working for you? What may be different about your circumstances from those of others? Does the approach work well until you get to a particular point? What approach may you take and do differently that can get you past that point?
Most of all when and if you seek advice from others, don’t be in such a hurry to dismiss it. Be a questioner. Ask another what leads them to make that suggestion. Evaluate the components of their answer. Get clarity on parts of the advice you don’t understand. Above all realize that your level of determination is a key factor on how you move forward. Without determination, it is highly unlikely you will go anywhere. With it you have a better chance of moving forward. And, in moving forward you may obtain what you seek, or even open yourself to new opportunities that you never even considered
