Beating the pavement does more than wear out your soles. It can wear out your self-confidence.

Rejection is strength sapping. When the reward for trying hard and staying the course keeps netting a big fat zero, we become frustrated beyond belief, plagued by that nagging question, “Why?”

Hiring decisions are the great unknown.

When we walk out of a job interview, we usually have a sense of “how it went.” If we think it went well, we expect a call back or a job offer. But often that never comes. Once this pattern starts to repeat itself, we become uneasy, struggling to figure out how we’re falling short.

We’re inclined to take it personally. Remember George Costanza from Seinfeld who could never understand why he didn’t get hired, or even sometimes why he did! It’s easy to forget that the hiring process isn’t just about us. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that we never hear about.

Excuses only get in our way.

A woman recently e-mailed me about her many months out of work, the high unemployment in her state, and her credentials. She’d been to many job interviews without success. The reason, she decided, was her age, refusing to acknowledge her “job hopper” work history.

I empathized with the stress this woman was experiencing. She’s not the only one who’s made excuses for unsuccessful job searches. Have you ever used any of these excuses for why you didn’t get an interview or a job:

-My resume and cover letter aren’t right.
-The interviewer asked quirky questions that didn’t make sense.
-There are just too many college grads out there for me to compete.
-My degree and/or training are outdated.
-They don’t want to hirer Baby Boomers (or Gen Xers, new grads).
-Companies already know whom they want. These interviews are a set up.
-I’m too short, heavy, contemporary, handsome/pretty, or tattooed.
When we create excuses to feel better temporarily, we risk the likelihood that we’ll reuse them, until they become a truth that we’ve accepted. That will only bury our chances.

Set yourself free!

Throw off any negatives you have about your job search experiences. If you don’t, you’ll carry them into your next interview. You may not think so, but it’s in your posture, your voice, your eyes, your tone of voice, and the words you choose.

You’ve got to shake off the negative stuff! Think of yourself as a pro athlete who’s had a bad game and needs to put it out of his/her mind and take the field again. Excuses don’t wash. You’re mantra needs to be: “Do better next time.”

When you aren’t the winning candidate, take action to make yourself a stronger one. Focus on things you can control:

-Fire up a bright, can-do attitude
-Expand your skills, particularly software applications and social media
-Ask: “Have I been too narrow in my job search?”
-Increase and perhaps redirect your networking efforts
-Stay in touch with your contacts at companies where you weren’t hired (You may have been their second choice.)
-Reexamine the way you present yourself (appearance, style, energy level)
The job search is a marketing effort!

If you have something of value to offer that an employer needs and can afford, you will be a viable candidate! Your ticket to the job you want is good marketing of your capabilities and attitude.

We all need to be prepared and ready to showcase our value. That’s what business fitness is all about, smart moves that you execute with consistency. It’s how you keep the Grim Reaper far away from your job search!