How hard is it to find…

In the past month I’ve been to the ProMat material handling show and the RILA Logistics conference. In each conversation that I had with attendees and exhibitors I’d ask them how their business was. Typically every one reflected that business was not good. But when pressed to think beyond the gloom and doom in the press some people responded that actually business isn’t all that bad.

Elsewhere in the blogs here on the LM website you can read about how Michael Reagan has made the decision not to participate in the recession. When I would ask people at ProMat or RILA about the stimulus package being extruded through Congress the same people that said business wasn’t all that bad also voiced concern how the stimulus package really wasn’t very stimulating.

As part of my ongoing business I expect to receive phone calls or messages from people that have been "released" from their employment and are now searching for a new job. I also expect messages from salespeople looking for sales leads. It is a true fact, business really does not come to you, you have to be going after the business.  I’m constantly doing that myself, always looking for the next opportunity to find a client.

Many of those who have contacted me have sounded outwardly positive, but soon are negative about the future of our economy, negative about finding new business or a new job. The salespeople complain about how they can’t get into it decision-maker or once they get to it decision-maker how they can’t land a deal. “Companies just are not spending any money”.  The job seekers talk themselves out of opportunities that are presented to them, saying that the position is beneath them, or far above them, or not “quite” what they are looking for.

At the risk of sounding like a poster child for the "power of positive thinking":  If you expect bad things to happen, bad things will happen; if you expect good things to happen, good things will happen. There’s something to be said for the self-fulfilling prophecy, it works both ways.

I am not singing and dancing in the streets about gobs of new business landing at my feet, but I am happy to report that I am finding new business opportunities interested in what I have to offer that I’m going to do OK this year. I’m going to make a living this year, which is all I ask for. I know for sure that part of the reason why I continue to pick up business in these challenging times is that I have an extremely positive outlook about our economy about my business and about how to improve my clients business. My passion and excitement about the success of my clients businesses is infectious.  

And as I look through different trade publications I see jobs, true career positions, being advertised. Some of these positions have been open for some time and are still being advertised searching for the right candidate. In economically challenging times companies will choose to "release" weaker players in search of the strong. Today companies not only can be choosy but they must be choosy about the talent that they are going to hire.

Companies are not only looking for people that are technically competent but they are looking for people that can lead. They are looking for leaders to have confidence, not only in their technical ability, but also a in their leadership skills. Ask yourself this, would you follow a depressed individual in the battle or an excited soul stirring leader. Think of that pep talk that William Wallace gave (played by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart) just before that incredible battle with the Crown’s soldiers. Who would you rather hire; a technically expert wimp or a technically competent and passionate leader?

You can’t fake. You can’t fake optimism. You have to truly believe, passionately, optimistically, in your abilities. You have to be honest with yourself in the knowledge of what you are capable of doing. If you are brutally honest with yourself about your abilities and you focus on the good that you can bring to the table you will build the passion and the optimism that employers are searching for today. Employers in these tough times, just like in good times, are looking for positive and passionate leadership, even for the smallest of jobs.

If you haven’t read Michael Reagan’s blog entries about career insurance by now go do yourself a favor and click over there. Work your network. If you don’t have a strong network, get busy and start building it.

Now is the time to passionately believe in YOU. If you can’t passionately believe in yourself, how can a perspective employer believe in you?

Here is a great post by Toni Bowers over at TechRepublic on how you can use tools, like "LinkedIn" to help in your search for a new job or new business.