Humility and Career Success

In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday a few words on the power that having the right attitude (specifically, an “attitude of gratitude”) can have on driving a successful job search and ultimately, your career. A positive, humble, and “can-do” approach to life and your career can open doors that you don’t even realize, as well as, keep you in the good graces of the right people. If you are in a career or job searching rut, consider the following three benefits that an attitude adjustment can have.

• A thankful approach allows you to focus on your strengths. You stare at your resume and go over all of the things that you could have done better in each of the jobs you’ve held.  What good does thinking about what could have been? OK, so you turned down an offer at Goldman to hit that startup that failed. Be thankful for that opportunity instead and think about the entrepreneurial and risk-taking lessons that you received. What you learned going through adversity is a strength that you might forget about and miss with the wrong attitude.
• Potential employers respond to hope more than desperation. When you go through your job search and networking process with an attitude of gratitude, you will naturally endear yourself to the people with whom you interact. If you come across as a shining light, a potential team player, and contributor, rather than just another person looking for a job, your value increases. Expressing thanks for the potential employer’s time, smiling, and explaining clearly how you can add value to their organization will resonate in the end.
• Humility leads to self-awareness and better decision-making. If you can be honest about your strengths and weakness, you will be more likely to pursue age and level-appropriate roles for which you can better compete. If you carry an arrogant attitude about your skills that is not backed up with any substance, you will be in for a long search and ultimately, and unsatisfying career. Knowing who you are at the core can be achieved through a humble state of mind; so if you are struggling where you are, try this attitude adjustment no matter how uncomfortable it might be. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised.