A job seeker's state of mind can be either an asset or a problem. Staying positive in an asset, being negative is a problem. Understandably, many job hunters get frustrated, irritated and depressed, after what may be months of hard work trying to find anything they can. This experience is no picnic by anybody's standards, and the mindset of even a relatively patient person can get affected pretty severely.

A negative mindset is generally created by a combination of past experiences and personal reactions. It acts like mental baggage, getting lugged around in the subconscious and stirred to life by any further negative experiences. It's a useless add-on to a problem, and it can be a real handicap when trying to communicate with other people.

The fact is that negative mindsets are contagious. A person who's acting negative tends to generate negative responses. This isn't even necessarily a conscious thing, but is easily portrayed in an interview or job hunting situation. It's an impression, and it's almost totally negative. This may seem a bit unfair, and you may think that the job seeker has a right to feel frustrated, but if you meet someone in a lousy mood, what are your impressions likely to be? Would you hire that person?

Nobody in the employment industry pretends that job hunting is some sort of cheerful browse through the job ads. Employers know how tough it is, and any experienced interviewer will make allowances for people who've been through it. In fact, interviewers are trained to defuse that sort of situation, and make the interviewees comfortable and encourage responses.

It's easier said than done in the interview assessments, though, and negative minded interviewees tend to do worse because they hold back, and don't really allow themselves to get enthusiastic. Some don't even sound interested, which is usually fatal. They do all the work to get the interview, then clam up, underperforming when they should be going all out to get the job. Some interviewers will actively encourage more output in these cases, but it's difficult when the mindset is so counterproductive.

A lot of blue sky stuff has been published about 'positive attitudes' and makes it seem like you can just turn into the world's biggest optimist with the flip of a switch. That's not how to get positive, though, and never has been. The only real approach to lead to a positive mindset is when you set the standards and you're calling the shots about what you want to achieve.

The fact is that staying positive is a survival mode. Positive gets you out of the hole, negative just digs it deeper.

To stay positive:

• Stick to the game plan, and focus on what you're trying to achieve.
• Forget about what happened yesterday. Get on with today.
• Go looking for alternatives to help achieve your goals.
• Never give up, regardless of anything.
• Stay focused now, worry afterwards. Get the applications and interviews done properly.