Fear of failure is a big problem in my life right now. Its why I don’t have a job, since I’m silly and am afraid of being rejected. This reframed something I think I already knew, but I’m sure it will help anyway. Time to really get on to things now.
I found that looking for jobs got a lot easier when I stopped thinking of it as a process evaluating my worth for the employer. Instead I started thinking of it as a process where I look for the employer who deserves me by virtue of realizing just how valuable I am.
It is stil frustrating to be ignored for a position which you would be more than adequate for, and which you are confident that you would be harder working at and more dilligent in than the hired help.
I guess thats one of the things that bothers me, having to jump through arbitrary hoops in a pointless process that fails to relate to reality. Also I probably just don’t need/want a job that much ;)
It is stil frustrating to be ignored for a position which you would be more than adequate for, and which you are confident that you would be harder working at and more dilligent in than the hired help.
In that situation, I try to just shrug and think it’s their loss. :-)
I delayed looking for work in the past because I didn’t actually need the money. I do have more expenses now, but not enough that I feel ambition for anything better (even within my company). I’m kind of okay with that, but I’d rather not slip up enough to lose this pretty decent gig and have to find another one. In case that reminds anyone of the motivation in Office Space, I am indeed a programmer like everyone else on the internet.
I think fear of uncomfortable interactions applies more in regular social situations for me. I’ve started practicing acting extroverted by just talking to strangers on the street or wherever, confident that I’ll never see them again and there are no consequences of bad impressions I might make. Sometimes it results in talking too fast or unclearly though (that also happens at work).
I have a degree in biomedical science, aka a totally useless degree. I’m going back to uni and am just looking for part time work in the mean time to make my time—since I’m finally at the stage of actually really needing the money.
Also I’m going back to uni to do computer science and become a programmer. I guess everyone on the internets realise is in that profession ;).
Regarding social interactions, I am actually (and unusually for less wrong) a very social and extroverted person. I spend much of my time at the moment socialising—ergo my need for money. Socialising is expensive.
However I am also one who has be conditioned to not try, my upbringing was such that any failure was focused on and any triumph taken for granted. Which is no excuse, but still I tend to avoid situations where I am tested at least when I am not guaranteed to triumph (e.g. I am totally 100% ok in academic assessments).
Job-hunting fits very well with the model in “Don’t Fear Failure”: the downside risk is zero. The worst case is accepting a bad job. Assuming you’re a USian, jobs are at-will, so just leave then, and you’re no worse off.
As a job-hunter, I’ve learned to model the probability of getting any one job as infinitesimal, so I don’t get too hung up on any one application. Let them do the rejecting.
Assuming you’re a USian, jobs are at-will, so just leave then, and you’re no worse off.
Is this true? I was always told that employers look down on a spotty employment history; they are less likely to hire someone whose job history is littered with jobs that have been held for less than a year.
Yes. (Their worst-case scenario: You’re a “professional plaintiff” who hires on, sues for something or other, gets a (confidential) settlement, and moves on).
They also look down on being in the same job a long time (assumption: lack of motivation to advance, etc.). And they look down on gaps in employment (assumption: you were in prison).
To summarize the summary of the summary, HR reps hate people.
I have heard that many times over the course of my adult working life. I tend to agree with it mostly, although I doubt that it applies equally to all types of work, and it may have been more true in the past than it is in today’s economy and with today’s technology. I would think that it could vary wildly between say a position such as “Office Manager” and that of “Newspaper Reporter”. The reason(s) for leaving would matter a great deal as well. Leaving a job for a much better job (better pay, more prestige, etc.) is quite different than leaving a job due to personality clash or poor work performance. There also could be a big difference depending upon the values of the employer in charge of doing the hiring. The person(s) with decision-making responsibility might place more emphasis on other traits and accomplishments, and not care terribly much that the employee left a job or jobs after a short time of being employed.
Fear of failure is a big problem in my life right now. Its why I don’t have a job, since I’m silly and am afraid of being rejected. This reframed something I think I already knew, but I’m sure it will help anyway. Time to really get on to things now.
I found that looking for jobs got a lot easier when I stopped thinking of it as a process evaluating my worth for the employer. Instead I started thinking of it as a process where I look for the employer who deserves me by virtue of realizing just how valuable I am.
I’ve also seen a recommendation that authors think of themselves as displaying their work to editors rather than submitting it.
It is stil frustrating to be ignored for a position which you would be more than adequate for, and which you are confident that you would be harder working at and more dilligent in than the hired help.
I guess thats one of the things that bothers me, having to jump through arbitrary hoops in a pointless process that fails to relate to reality. Also I probably just don’t need/want a job that much ;)
In that situation, I try to just shrug and think it’s their loss. :-)
What’s your work/educational background?
I delayed looking for work in the past because I didn’t actually need the money. I do have more expenses now, but not enough that I feel ambition for anything better (even within my company). I’m kind of okay with that, but I’d rather not slip up enough to lose this pretty decent gig and have to find another one. In case that reminds anyone of the motivation in Office Space, I am indeed a programmer like everyone else on the internet.
I think fear of uncomfortable interactions applies more in regular social situations for me. I’ve started practicing acting extroverted by just talking to strangers on the street or wherever, confident that I’ll never see them again and there are no consequences of bad impressions I might make. Sometimes it results in talking too fast or unclearly though (that also happens at work).
I have a degree in biomedical science, aka a totally useless degree. I’m going back to uni and am just looking for part time work in the mean time to make my time—since I’m finally at the stage of actually really needing the money.
Also I’m going back to uni to do computer science and become a programmer. I guess everyone on the internets realise is in that profession ;).
Regarding social interactions, I am actually (and unusually for less wrong) a very social and extroverted person. I spend much of my time at the moment socialising—ergo my need for money. Socialising is expensive.
However I am also one who has be conditioned to not try, my upbringing was such that any failure was focused on and any triumph taken for granted. Which is no excuse, but still I tend to avoid situations where I am tested at least when I am not guaranteed to triumph (e.g. I am totally 100% ok in academic assessments).
Job-hunting fits very well with the model in “Don’t Fear Failure”: the downside risk is zero. The worst case is accepting a bad job. Assuming you’re a USian, jobs are at-will, so just leave then, and you’re no worse off.
As a job-hunter, I’ve learned to model the probability of getting any one job as infinitesimal, so I don’t get too hung up on any one application. Let them do the rejecting.
Is this true? I was always told that employers look down on a spotty employment history; they are less likely to hire someone whose job history is littered with jobs that have been held for less than a year.
Yes. (Their worst-case scenario: You’re a “professional plaintiff” who hires on, sues for something or other, gets a (confidential) settlement, and moves on).
They also look down on being in the same job a long time (assumption: lack of motivation to advance, etc.). And they look down on gaps in employment (assumption: you were in prison).
To summarize the summary of the summary, HR reps hate people.
I’ve heard people claim that leaving a job in less than a year looks very bad on the resume. True?
I have heard that many times over the course of my adult working life. I tend to agree with it mostly, although I doubt that it applies equally to all types of work, and it may have been more true in the past than it is in today’s economy and with today’s technology. I would think that it could vary wildly between say a position such as “Office Manager” and that of “Newspaper Reporter”. The reason(s) for leaving would matter a great deal as well. Leaving a job for a much better job (better pay, more prestige, etc.) is quite different than leaving a job due to personality clash or poor work performance. There also could be a big difference depending upon the values of the employer in charge of doing the hiring. The person(s) with decision-making responsibility might place more emphasis on other traits and accomplishments, and not care terribly much that the employee left a job or jobs after a short time of being employed.