Avoid Paranoia When Job Searching

Avoiding job searching paranoia can be difficult, especially when you haven’t found success in your job hunt. Doubts and fears can lead to a mentality that the world is out to get you. This situation must be avoided.

How to Avoid and Overcome Job Search Paranoia

“I think a past employer is saying bad things about me and that’s why I’m not hearing back after interviews.”

This statement comes up regularly when we work with clients. There really isn’t a good way for us to help them check on this. The human resources department of the hiring organization is sticking to the normal script as they are trained to do so.

It’s the back channel conversations the candidate really fears. Here’s the reality. In most cases, there are no back channel conversations taking place. No one is sabotaging their chances. In fact, no one is talking about them at all. Job searching paranoia has taken over.

Their results have nothing to do with someone else affecting their outcomes. That rests solely on their shoulders.

Interviewers can see through the thinly veiled stories of why they left the last few jobs. If they can smell smoke they start to look for fire. Or, they stop looking at all and go with another candidate who doesn’t have these issues.

We help clients who are in this spot focus instead on the things they can control. Work hard to improve how to communicate value and explain why they are in the market. The vine is never as efficient as we fear in spreading gossip. Master your messaging to improve your outcomes.