Maintaining a Positive Attitude During Trying Times

I’ve only had to deal with unemployment once in my life. I was only out of college for about six months and the freelance gig I was working dried up.

I tried searching for a job for about a month. My meager savings dried up quickly and I realized I had to do SOMETHING while I searched for my next job.

I ended up waiting tables while I continued applying for jobs at small market television stations. The restaurant gig helped pay the bills and funded the job search. But, it was frustrating.

I applied to dozens of TV stations before I landed my first gig at WRBL in Columbus, Georgia.

Since then, I’ve been fortunate. I haven’t had to deal with unemployment.

In my current job, I’ve been tasked with covering the employment beat. My goal has been to maintain a positive outlook in the clichéd “tough economic times”. I try hard to only do stories that provide real, actionable information for folks who are looking for jobs, rather than focusing on the latest unemployment statistics and trends.

While covering the jobs beat, I have been amazed by the different perspectives I encounter.

Some people are understandably frustrated. They’ve been out of work for months. Every time they apply for a job, they either get rejected or they never hear back from the employer. They’re beginning to think job fairs and “networking” are a waste of time. They seem to think getting a job is a matter of luck, be in the right place at the right time.

But then there are others who somehow maintain a more positive perspective. They brush off the “no’s” and the failed applications. They try to learn what kept them from getting the last job they applied for and try not to make the same mistake again. These types of people know that by staying upbeat and refusing to give up, they too will soon be employed.

I was starting to get dejected during the summer I waited tables. Nothing was panning out for me. I happened to pick up a freelance job as a grip (a low-level, low paying job) for a televised women’s soccer game.

While working that gig, I met a guy who was also working freelance. Turns out that guy was Cyle Mims, the then News Director for WRBL. I chatted him up for about ten or fifteen minutes, then we went back to work. The next week, Cycle called me and invited me to Columbus for an interview. I ended up getting the job and two weeks later I was in Columbus.

While my experience with unemployment was not nearly as dire as many others, I understand how frustrating it can be. But, I learned a valuable lesson from that experience: If I’m ever unemployed again, I’ll need to maintain a positive attitude. Networking works, even when you least expect it.

I had only fifteen minutes to network with Cyle. I tried to make a good impression by being positive and excited about the opportunities he may have for me right away, or down the road.

I’d like to think my positive attitude paid off. I doubt he would have called me if I had acted depressed and dejected.

I hope the job seekers of today can maintain a positive attitude themselves, despite frustrating circumstances, because you never know when the next opportunity is going to come your way.