Staying positive increases your chances of finding a job, according to a recent study in Personnel Psychology. Positive emotions relate to job outcomes, such as number of job interviews and job offers. Specifically, positivity influences a job seeker’s motivation and procrastination behavior, which in turn influences job-search outcomes. So, when facing unemployment, try to stay positive, and hopefully, good things will come your way.
In this study, 245 graduating college students searching for a full-time job completed one survey in September and a second survey in December during the on-campus recruiting season. For the surveys, the first assessed positive/negative affect (or emotions), and the second assessed procrastination, motivation, and job-search outcomes.
Job seekers with a positive outlook are, unsurprisingly, more likely to persist and less likely to put off job searching. While a smile and a hopeful viewpoint are not a magic tonic, they do offer a better way to approach the quest for employment.