Study Shows Positive Thinking, Persistence Pay Off in Job Search

Posted by clnews News Flash Saturday, May 5th, 2012

(PhysOrg) A study that followed recently unemployed people for five months — or until they landed a new job — found that staying positive and being persistent helped people find work sooner.

“It’s very, very tough,” said study co-author Ruth Kanfer, a professor of psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “It’s not like learning a skill, where maintaining a positive attitude can be easier as you see improvement with your effort. You submit resumes, but get almost no feedback on how you’re doing or what you could do to improve your chances of finding a job.”

Not surprisingly, those with a positive, go-getter outlook did better than those who were more fearful and anxious. But personality traits were secondary to self-management in terms of success. From week to week, those who did the most to develop routines, seek support and keep self-defeating thoughts in check were those who put in the most hours on their search.

The findings are published in the April issue of the Academy of Management Journal.

Read the full article:
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-positive-persistence-job.html