How to Handle Criticism

As if it isn’t bad enough that you are out of work, or needing to make a change, when you are job hunting you also often find yourself on the receiving end of tons of advice, suggestions, ideas, opinions, and comments.
And even criticism.
Criticism can be deflating, but it can also be inspiring. The trick is to learn how to tell which comments are worth taking to heart and which are just off-the-wall fault-finding that has more to do with the critiquer than with you or your work.
With no further ado, here is the trick to sort through the criticism maze:
Helpful criticisms are ones that, when you hear them, seem familiar to you. You will feel a flash of recognition. Maybe a little voice in the back of your head says, “That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along!” Helpful criticisms feel “right.” Helpful criticisms spur you to do more of what you do, and to do it better.

Unhelpful criticisms are the kind that, when you hear them, you think “Huh? Really?” They feel wrong and weird and awkward. Upon closer examination, this kind of comment often seems to have much more to do with the criticizer than with you.
Telling the difference between the two is not always easy. When you are in the early stages of the jobhunting trail, you may take every criticism you receive to heart. You may start down many wrong paths and then have to backtrack. But with practice you learn how to spot and take advantage of valuable criticism. You will even want to thank your criticizers.
And the weird, off-the-wall, “huh”-type comments? Well, sometimes they can provide material for funny stories to tell later, once you have landed that great job.
Happy hunting.
Article by, Karen Burns, Working Girl
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted by Candice A