Having What it Takes

As an older job seeker, do you have it?

Do you know what you need in your job search? It’s relatively simple. You need something that you’ve exhibited all your life. You need something that you have used all your working life – and even before that. You need: perseverance.

It’s in your history

You persevered on your last job, didn’t you? No matter how much you may have liked your previous position, there were times when you were frustrated, exasperated and just beside yourself. But you persevered. You got through it.

Even before that, when you were in school. Teachers aggravated you. Work assignments seemed overwhelming. But you got through it. You moved on.

Just to make certain that we’re all singing from the same sheet, let’s spend a few seconds to take a look at how the dictionary defines “perseverance.” Dictionary.com says that perseverance is a “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

Not too difficult to understand. But let’s take a closer look.

If you’re the typical older job seeker, you face “difficulties” everyday. You face “obstacles” with nearly every employer you approach. And, you experience “discouragement” every time you’re told that “you’re just not right for this position,” or that “we’ve decided to go in another direction.” Grrrrrrrrr.

As for that part of the definition, you seem to be a perfect fit. But what about the first part? Do you have a “course of action”? Do you have a strategy or a method to pursue as part of your job search? And what about “steady persistence”? Are you hard at work in your job search everyday? All day everyday? Only you can answer that.

But we can add this: if you are steady; if you are persistent – you will succeed. It may take a while – probably longer than you’d like – but you will succeed. Persistence, perseverance – ultimately they do pay off.

And don’t forget, your perseverance doesn’t need produce an avalanche of job offers. At the end of the day, you only need to find one. Job that is.

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