3 Lessons on Resiliency During Your Job Search From The Pursuit of Happyness

Are you feeling discouraged by your job search? Do you feel like the the world is conspiring against you specifically? If you answered yes, then I have a simple solution: Watch The Pursuit of Happyness.

It’s the heartwarming true tale of Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), a down-on-his-luck medical equipment salesman struggling to support his young son (played by Jaden Smith). Here are three things to take away from this film that will help you build resiliency during your job search.

There’s always someone whose failures are more painful than yours

Watching Will and Jaden Smith act out Chris Gardner’s story made me feel a wide spectrum of emotions. One emotion which surprised me at first was guilt. When I reflected on this feeling, I realized I felt guilty for the times when I felt like giving up after failure.

Seeing how Mr. Gardner kept going on sales call after call, even though he had a swirl of circumstances working against him, made me realize that there are plenty of people who have persevered through more adversity than I face and achieved their goals. This is a great attitude to embody when it comes to your job search.

A clearly defined “why?” will guide your through your job search

Have you asked yourself during your job search why you’re looking for a job in the field you chose?

For Mr.Gardner, his why was his son. there is a scene in which he walks by a beautiful red Ferrari and he asks the car’s owner what he does for a living, and he tells him he’s a stockbroker. Mr.Gardner makes a choice then to become a stockbroker – not for material possessions, but for the financial security and life of abundance his son would have if he were to have a job which would pay him that kind of money.

Define your why and you’ll have the strong spirit to persevere through the rough patches of your job search.

The job search journey will lead you to happiness eventually

The final scene (spoiler alert) contains the most important message for those in the job-search doldrums: As long as you’re willing to keep trying, your Eden will be waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.

When Mr. Gardner finds out he’s the intern selected for a full-time broker position, he walks out onto the city street and explodes with happiness, and you hear this voice-over:

“this moment…this small moment…is called happiness”

Chris Gardner used this small moment of happiness as a springboard to a life filled with joy and financial abundance. He’s a multi-million dollar man who has succeeded as a stockbroker, author, and now a motivational speaker.

If you’re inspired by the Hollywood version of Chris Gardner’s story, then you can check out his website here to learn more about his strategies for overcoming obstacles,and also watch this awesome interview where Gardner goes into detail regarding the adversity he had to overcome throughout his childhood. Reach out to me on Twitter at @BPucino to let me know what you think!