10 Ways Your Mindset Shapes Your Resilience
Work is being redefined at the speed of artificial intelligence. To stay relevant in the workforce, broaden your mindset, express gratitude, and bolster your resilience.
1. Abundance vs. Scarcity: Expanding Your Vision
An abundance mindset opens you to possibilities, while a scarcity mindset narrows your focus to what's missing. When you believe opportunities are limited, you become desperate and overlook connections that don't lead to immediate job offers. With an abundance approach, every conversation becomes valuable—whether it's practice, information, or a future referral. You start seeing that one "no" doesn't diminish the pool of available opportunities.
Action: Reframe each application or networking conversation as one of many opportunities, not your only shot. Create a tracking sheet and list 20-30 target companies rather than fixating on two or three, which naturally shifts you toward abundance thinking.
2. Scarcity Thinking Creates Tunnel Vision
When you operate from scarcity, you might avoid applying for jobs where you don't meet 100% of qualifications, or you hesitate to reach out to people because "they're too busy for me." This self-imposed limitation cuts you off from hidden opportunities that emerge through relationships and bold moves. Scarcity makes you reactive rather than strategic. You’re passively waiting for the perfect posted job instead of creating opportunities through proactive outreach.
Action: Apply for roles where you meet 65-70% of qualifications and craft a compelling "why me" narrative. Reach out to one person per week who seems out of your league. You'll be surprised how often people respond positively.
Marie Foleo, author of Everything is Figureoutable, shares, “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” She adds, “When you fully commit, you will make it.”
3. Your Sea Glass Transformation
Just like a broken bottle tumbles through ocean waves to become beautiful sea glass, your career setbacks are shaping you into something more valuable. But here's the key difference: unlike sea glass, you have agency in this process. Each rejection, each tough interview, each moment of uncertainty is polishing your skills and clarifying what you truly want. You're not just being tossed around; you're actively learning, adapting, and becoming a stronger candidate with each iteration.
Action: After each interview or rejection, write down one specific skill you refined or insight you gained. Build a "transformation portfolio" documenting how you've grown through this search, which you can reference when confidence wavers.
4. Rewiring Your Brain During Uncertainty
When you're job searching, your brain naturally fixates on what's wrong—the rejection emails, the silence, the bills. A gratitude journal physically rewires your neural pathways to notice what's working, even in small ways. This isn't toxic positivity; it's training yourself to see the full picture rather than just the threats. When you can identify three things daily that went right, such as "I had a good conversation with a former colleague" or "I learned a new skill today," you build psychological resilience that prevents the downward spiral of negativity.
Action: Start a gratitude journal: A gratitude journal is, quite simply, a tool to keep track of the good things in life. No matter how difficult and defeating life can sometimes feel, there is always something to feel grateful for.
Even more than that, regularly journaling about the good things in your life can help prepare and strengthen you to deal with the rough patches when they pop up.
5. Expressing Gratitude is a Networking Superpower
Expressing genuine gratitude transforms you from just another job seeker into someone people remember and want to help. When you thank someone for their time and specifically mention what you learned or valued from the conversation, you stand out from the dozens of people who want something. This creates a positive feedback loop. People are more likely to make introductions, share opportunities, and advocate for you when they feel genuinely appreciated rather than used as a means to an end.
Action: Send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours of every informational interview or networking conversation, highlighting one specific insight they shared. Keep a "networking gratitude log" of people who've helped you and find ways to give back, sharing an article, making an introduction, or offering your own expertise.
6. You're More Resilient Than You Think
Look back at difficult moments in your past: a tough project, a previous job loss, or a personal challenge. You survived all of them, yet in the moment, each felt insurmountable. Your track record proves you're resilient, but our brains have a negativity bias that makes us forget our past victories when we’re facing current struggles. The fact that you're still applying, still networking, still showing up despite rejections is evidence of tremendous resilience in action.
Action: Create a "resilience diary" listing 5-10 difficult situations you've overcome professionally or personally, and how you did it. When you're feeling defeated, review this document to remind yourself of your proven ability to persist and adapt.
7. Strategic Network Building: Your Differentiation Engine
Your network isn't just about who you know; it's about strategically positioning yourself in front of decision makers and showcasing your value before they even have an opening. Most jobs are filled through relationships, not applications, because hiring managers want to reduce risk by bringing in people who come recommended. By intentionally building connections at target companies, you're not just waiting for opportunities; you're creating them through visibility and trust.
Action: Identify 5-7 target companies and find 3-5 employees at each to connect with on LinkedIn (mix of recruiters, hiring managers, and peers in your target role). Engage meaningfully with their content for two weeks before sending a personalized connection request. Mention a specific post or shared interest.
8. LinkedIn as Your 24/7 Interest Signal
When you follow companies, engage with their posts, and use the "Open to Work" features strategically, you're creating a digital breadcrumb trail that shows genuine interest beyond just submitting applications. Recruiters and hiring managers notice who's consistently engaging with their content. It demonstrates you're not just desperate for any job but specifically interested in their organization. This passive signaling works while you sleep, positioning you as someone already invested in the company’s mission.
Action: Set up 15 minutes daily to engage authentically with posts from your target companies and their employees; comment thoughtfully rather than just liking. Use LinkedIn's "Open to Work" feature with specific settings, and post monthly about your professional interests or projects to stay visible in your network's feed.
9. Expanding Beyond LinkedIn: Multi-Channel Social Media Presence
While LinkedIn is essential, limiting yourself to one platform misses opportunities to connect with people where they're most active and authentic. Some industry leaders share insights on X, while other influencers build communities on other platforms. Many showcase their company’s culture on Instagram or Facebook. By meeting people on multiple platforms, you learn different facets of company culture and create more touchpoints for relationship-building. You're no longer just another LinkedIn message; you're a familiar face across their digital ecosystem.
Action: Research where employees from your target companies are active (check their LinkedIn profiles for other social links) and join 2-3 industry-specific Slack communities or follow company Instagram accounts. Engage meaningfully in one non-LinkedIn space each week, whether commenting on a blog post or participating in a group chat.
10. From Passive to Active: Creating Opportunity Through Strategic Action
The most resilient job seekers understand that they're not at the mercy of job boards. They’re actively creating opportunities through strategic relationship-building and value demonstration. When you shift from "I hope someone picks me" to "I'm strategically positioning myself to solve problems for specific organizations," you take control of your narrative. This doesn't guarantee immediate results, but it fundamentally changes your experience from helpless waiting to purposeful action, building the resilience you need to persist.
Action: Each week, identify one problem a target company is facing (from news, their blog, or social media) and create a brief thought piece or solution outline to share in a message to a relevant contact there. Commit to one "create your own opportunity" action weekly. Whether that's proposing a project-based trial, offering to present at an industry meetup where your target employers attend, or writing a thoughtful LinkedIn post that showcases your expertise and tags relevant people.
When you are in a lengthy job search, be intentional about shifting your mindset to one of abundance. Unemployment is a temporary problem. Your ideal opportunity is out there, and you will find it with the strategically written search documents and interview strategies.
Each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, I offer a mini-course called "When the Going Gets Tough: Strength and Resilience in Challenging Times" for only $9.95.
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