There is an unfortunate reality in the recruiting industry. Most people start with great aspirations but end up finding themselves burnt out and throwing in the towel. However, for those that find a way to stick with it there are rich rewards for their perseverance.
I am willing to admit that I Initially viewed recruiting as a stopgap. Almost as soon as I started my recruiting career, I believed that I was in way over my head. It seemed evident that I needed to do something different, but I had no idea what that might be. As a result, there was a negative narrative running through my head at all times. It sounded something like:
"This type of job isn't as easy as I thought it would be."
"Why is this taking so long?"
"I'm getting nowhere fast in this business."
"I keep trying but can't figure this out."
"I can't do this. What did I get myself into?”
Almost everyone that gets into the recruiting world without previous experience will ask one or more of these statements of themselves as they are starting out. After these questions begin to show up, their next thoughts quickly become centered around creating an exit plan. I am here to tell you, beware, this is a trap that is destined for repeated failures in your career.
Over the years I have found one effective strategy to help new recruiters overcome this early adversity in their careers. It is actually easier than you might think. Instead of asking yourself what to do next, you can adopt a never quit, don't quit, not going to give up mindset. If you allow yourself to consider your departure, you are stealing valuable time you could be using to perfect your craft.
For this reason, it is crucial to train your mind to focus on the positive with affirmations every time fear begins to rear its ugly head. Here are some examples of affirmations I use in my daily goal setting to train my mind to be focused on cultivating my best attributes and converting perceived failures into success.
"I refuse to quit because I haven't tried every possible way to accomplish the task."
"The desire to quit is just a sign that a different approach is needed."
"I will find or create a way to reach my goals."
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
"Every challenge has a solution, and I am the best person for the job."
"Every day I stick it out is one step closer to becoming an expert."
"I never lose; I either win or learn." -Nelson Mandela
The second component of this strategy is to identify your “WHY” and review it often. When you feel like quitting your job or giving up on your goals, look at your list containing all the primary reasons why your job is so important to you. It may look something like this:
The greater the number of reasons and the stronger the reason, the more likely you are to stay the course.
There you have it. Positive affirmations and identifying your ‘WHY’ sounds simple, right? That’s because it can be. The key part of adopting a don’t quit mindset is in the follow-through. It’s one of the best parts of my job as a leader at Spartan Capital Group to help new recruiters learn these principles and clear the early hurdles in their careers. When they find a way to stick with it, there are rich rewards waiting for them on the other side.
