If you have an eating disorder and you are out of work or your job has been downsized so much that you need an additional or better source of income, you may be frightened and taking on more personal blame than is yours.  Your eating disorder symptoms, especially the distorted thinking and logic that accompanies any eating disorder, can impede your progress financially and in the job market itself.

Eating Disorder Symptoms That Hold You Back

Withdrawal and isolation are familiar situations to a person with an eating disorder.  If this is you, are you home eating, pretending on the phone and in e-mail that all is well, running on the treadmill or watching DVD's? Do you believe your physical appearance is so objectionable that you cannot be seen by others and feel completely intimidated by going on a job interview?  Perhaps you've sent out resumes and are weary and disheartened by rejections or no response at all.

Your inner critical self talk, fueled by your self doubts, can rampage unchecked. That self talk can torture you with harsh judgements condemnations and crush your ability to come forth in the world as you are.  You believe the punishing words in your head and you isolate more.

Employers Want to Know This About You

I saw a blog post, not about eating disorders, but about what employers are looking for in a resume. Weight, gender and age were not on the list.

My hunch is that everything on your self critical list was not on the check list the employers use to respond favorably to a resume.  This post might be a wake up call for you.  It might inspire you to take another look, a more practical here and now look, at the difference between who you are and what you are sending out into the world.

In "3 Things Employers Look for on You Resume" Chad Bauer invites you to do some research on the employers and the organizations you want to join. To make use of the perspective he offers you will need to pull out of the eating disorder cloud of negative self talk and point your eyes and your attention to the realistic needs and wants of the place that you hope will hire you.

You know what you need: more money, a place to go, people to see, things of value to do.  The organization needs to make more money, build value in their company, have a crew that gets along so they can function well together. Does your resume spell that out?

Start Now

Do some stretches and some breathing exercises.  Do a couple of shoulder rolls. Get dressed if you are still in your robe. Make a clear and tidy workplace for yourself and start analyzing.  Write down your findings as you expand your resume or completely rewrite it.

Here are Bauer's main points he believes employers look for. Realistically appraise yourself and write down your answers.

#1: Can the candidate solve the specific top problems I have today?
An employer is searching for evidence that you can solve their unique top problems............

#2: Can the candidate build shareholder value?
Outside of the non-profit world, a company is willing to pay an employee because they believe you will make them more money than they pay - You are an investment............

#3: Will the employee fit in with the company’s culture?
While this is really answered during the interview, your resume gives clues about how you’ll fit in with the company’s culture. But because these clues are so limited because you’re not there in person, they typically only serve as disqualifiers rather than qualifiers........

Can you step out of blaming yourself for being unworthy and move into your look for your personal assets mode?  If you can bring your energy and intellect to this task you could pull yourself out of eating disorder isolation and into a better financial position that involves living more interesting days.

Don't let the mirror or the scale stop you.  How can you give them what they want so they are willing to give you what you want?

 

Good luck, and please let me know how you are doing.