How to Overcome Your Biggest Career Fears
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt
What are your biggest career goals? If you haven’t achieved them yet, what’s holding you back? Fear is a powerful component of career success, and it’s something that can prevent you from reaching new heights. 
Your success depends on overcoming career fears.
If you sometimes freeze up because of fear, you’re not alone. Many of us share the same career fears and concerns. Overcoming them is key to reaching your goals.
Here are the four most common career fears and how to battle them:
- Being asked a difficult question during job interviews. Job interviews are intimidating enough on their own: Being asked to describe why you’re better than the hundreds (or thousands) of people who also applied definitely brings some pressure! “Freezing” after being asked a difficult interview question is a very common fear for job seekers. The definition of a “difficult” question varies from industry to industry and person to person, but the best way to overcome this fear is consistent. Think of the Key P’s: Preparation and Practice. Do your research into common interview questions for your industry or area of specialty. Then practice answering them. Be prepared to talk about everything on your resume. Preparation and practice ensure that you can handle any curveballs that come your way. Need someone to practice with? Call your Helpmates Talent Relationship Specialist >> He or she will walk you through the interview process and can help you master the P’s to feel comfortable during job interviews.
- Being negatively impacted by social media posts. Social media is a critical part of your job search. The Internet is filled with posts warning about the dangers found in posting questionable content. It could be tempting to avoid social media altogether, but employers want to learn about you online before the interview >> Avoiding social media could potentially raise a red flag and could actually result in fewer job interviews. The best way to alleviate this fear and avoid any negative fallout from social media mistakes is to remove anything that could be considered offensive or inappropriate. Then, follow the advice we shared a few months ago in our Top 10 Social Media Tips for Job Seekers. Pay particular attention to your privacy settings and build consistent, complete profiles. Follow those tips, then be sure to consider your career when posting any content in the future. If you wouldn’t post it at work, it’s better not to post it at all!
- Not getting a high enough salary. Depending on your industry, you could either be in a candidate’s market or a more competitive environment. In the tech industry, for example, some specialties are commanding increasingly competitive salaries. Other industries aren’t quite as swayed in candidates’ favor. Depending on your specific background and goals, you may have some fear that the jobs that most appeal to you won’t provide the right salary. Knowledge is power to help overcome this fear. Use tools like salary.com to research positions and salaries for ideal positions in your city. These tools can give you a good idea how much salary to expect. Be prepared to back up your salary expectations with real-world examples of results you’ve delivered in previous positions. RESOURCE: Our salary negotiation tips can help you land competitive compensation.
- Not finding the right job. Feeling stuck in the wrong job is not a great feeling. Struggling to find any job can also be stressful. A fear that the right job will never come along is understandable during your job search, but it doesn’t have to be realistic. Partnering with a recruiting firm like Helpmates can help in a few ways. First, your job search efforts will be focused only on those jobs that are most likely to help you reach your goals (no more dead ends!). Second, recruiters will work with you to understand which jobs are best suited to your strengths, background and goals. We’ll work with you to find the right job for YOU.
The recruiters at Helpmates are here to help you overcome your fears and find jobs across Southern California. We work with the area’s top employers — they trust us to match them with incredible professionals like you. Search our current jobs or contact your nearest Helpmates office to take control of your career.
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