Everyone suffers setbacks, unfortunately, that is life.
In Recruitment, you will quite often hear the saying champagne and razor blades and it wasn’t until recently that I realised how true this rang. For the past couple of weeks, I have been living the champagne lifestyle. I had a strong start to the quarter, made good headway on my goals and was smashing my KPI’s. I felt like everything was falling into place and I was finally standing on solid ground.
Last weekend, I was enjoying the fruits of my labour and celebrating my wins when my Dad phoned to let me know my Grandma had passed away. She was one of my favourite people ever and she just embodied everything I want to be. She had everyone in the palm of her hand no matter what room she walked into. She was strong, funny but most importantly quick-witted. I took Monday off and was ready to return to work on Tuesday to distract myself with hard work and to reinvigorate myself with some more wins!
The second I walked into work the wins quickly turned to losses, the contractor did not show up on Monday, a placement I had worked on for 3 months had slipped through the cracks and I wanted to give my grandma a hug. I was angry at everyone and everything and a walk around Eagle Street was not going to fix it!
Unfortunately for me, I am not special, everyone suffers setbacks, and it is a part of life but what I am learning is that it is the way in which you pick yourself back up that shows what you’re really made of. I cannot say it is easy or that this is the definitive way to recover from setbacks, but this is what has helped me.
Whether it’s the loss of a job, the rejection from a potential job or even something as simple as missing the bus, I hope these tips help you pick yourself up!
Accept it.
The first step is always the hardest, and accepting things have not gone your way is not an easy feat. Whether your setback is in or out of your control is irrelevant, we have to take a step back and evaluate the situation for what it really is.
Unfortunately, in life, you cannot always get what you want. I like to think that everything happens for a reason. Maybe you didn’t land that job because a more suitable role is coming your way.
Take a minute and come to terms with what is happening, so you know what you are up against and can make a well-thought-out plan.
Remain positive.
It is all too easy to fall into a negative mindset especially when things go wrong. I know that sometimes it can be easier to just write off the entire day, however, this is not going to help you in the long term. One thing that recruitment has taught me is that you must take everything in your stride.
Being a recruitment consultant is very rewarding but can also be stressful at times. What I have learnt is that you have to be able to digest a setback and recover quickly so we can be solution focused.
This methodology can be applied to any setback. The longer you dwell, the more effort it takes to recover. This does not mean that you have to be ‘over’ what has happened, but it does mean you are able to keep moving, which is imperative for success.
My advice would be to figure out what works for you to stay positive. I find if I go on a walk while listening to some aggressive rap music, by the time I return I can think clearly and find a solution instead of falling into a negative thought pattern.
Make a plan.
Now that we reached acceptance, it’s time to formulate a plan. I find writing everything down works best for me. If I can see it in front of me, it is easier to digest to figure out the best way forward.
Last Friday, I was supposed to send an interview confirmation to a candidate for an interview with our client. With all the excitement of Friday, I missed this crucial step in my process. Then, having not been in on that Monday meant that come Tuesday, the candidate had no idea her interview was missed, and the client was left wondering where the candidate was. In this setback, I had to act quickly and make a plan, instead of internally wanting to throw a tantrum.
First things first – accept my mistake, second, my best advice, is always be honest. I spoke to my client and profusely apologised. They appreciated the honesty and we then set up a new time for the interview.
Whether the setback is monumental or minor, you will always benefit from making a plan!
Rely on others.
One thing I value about Optimum is that one of our values is Strength in Team, as we truly do live by this. No one expects you to be functioning at 100% every day but it is important to be honest if you feel like you are struggling.
All too often these days vulnerability feels like weakness, however, I believe vulnerability is strength. I also believe that being honest with your emotions and letting people know why you are upset. This helps with support you may need and also helps acknowledge your feelings in the situation in order to move forward.
Reflect on what it taught you.
I live by the philosophy that everything does happen for a reason. Therefore, taking time to reflect on setback situations helps you learn and cope better for the next one.
For example, not sending the email confirmation taught me that I must do things straight away instead of putting them off until later when other important things could make me forget.
Everything is about perspective, my Grandma would always say ‘If you change the way you look at things, the way you look at things changes’. She’d say it because she thought it was funny, but it is something I think about often.
The people I respect the most, both professionally and personally, all have one thing in common. They are resilient. They have always shown me that you have the ability to recover no matter what the setback is, and that is what truly shows the person you are.
