Are You Jinxing Yourself Out of Job Opportunities?
I’m not really superstitious. Deep down I don’t believe that knocking on wood has the power to move personnel managers or ward off viruses.
But I still do it, and I do some other things that might well be self-defeating.
Actor Glenn Morshower, perhaps best known for his role as Agent Aaron Pierce on “24,” is also a gifted speaker, and in his presentation “The Extra Mile,” he reviews several big lies that are commonly accepted and decidedly counter-productive.
One that particularly resonated with me was “Don’t get your hopes up.” As Morshower noted, “We’re supposed to have low hopes? What good did low hopes ever do?”
Even though I spend a lot of time trying to keep my hopes from getting too high, I can’t really answer those questions.
I think I’m trying to protect myself from disappointment, so I try to let the air out of my emotional balloon before it even leaves the ground.
But now I’m wondering if doing so drags me down more than I might think.
You’ve probably all had experiences where your positive vibrations were borne out, like an interview you started feeling sure things were going to go your way and, sure enough, they did.
So – does the converse work? If you send off a job application and start preparing yourself for rejection right away, does that make it more likely to happen?
I’m not sure. I don’t believe that wishing makes anything so, whether for good or ill. I don’t think visualizing the corner office will get me there any faster.
However, what could it hurt?
So I’ve decided to start following the advice doled out in John Prine’s song, “Dear Abby,” and I’ll “Stop wishing on bad luck and knocking on wood.”
What do you think? Does attitude make a difference, even from a distance? Is it possible to jinx yourself? How do you psych yourself up?
Please share as many responses as you like. We’ll compile some good luck techniques and put them together so we all get the jobs of our dreams.
Just so you know, I’m knocking on wood as I write this.
Article by Danielle D. and courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.
