Maintaining self-esteem when facing career failures

Ben Latham
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:59:28 +0000
Campus, Instagram Page, News, benefit finding, Buckeyes, campus, career, failures, ohio state, osu, psychology, research, researchers, science, self, self-esteem, study, therapy

Looking at career goal failures in a positive way can prevent someone from harming their self-esteem, according to recent studies. Credit: Ben Latham | Lantern Reporter

Perspective can be a powerful tool — especially for college students.

Failures related to one’s career goals and aspirations do not have to negatively affect self-esteem if they are viewed as a path to better opportunities, according to a pair of recent studies following over 120 undergraduate students. The students were asked if their failures ultimately benefited them in the future after giving up past career goals.

Students who felt little regret about changing their career goals had a higher self-esteem than students who highly regretted their decision, and students who saw their career changes as a benefit had a higher self-esteem than students who felt they were not as beneficial, according to the studies.

Patrick Carroll, associate professor of psychology at Ohio State’s Lima campus, said using different techniques such as benefit finding — defined by the National Institute of Health as the “process of deriving positive growth from adversity” — can help people look for silver linings when experiencing a career change resulting from failures.

“When we can’t go on with something, we have a tendency to look at it as an abject failure, and I think that’s a mistake,” Carroll said. “I think every experience in life comes with downsides and upsides to it, and it’s just a matter of defining what the benefit might be out of those failure experiences.”

Positive psychologist, filmmaker and best-selling author Barbara Holstein, whose works include “The Enchanted Self: A Positive Therapy,” said doing something as simple as “sitting quietly and making a list of your talents and potential” can go a long way toward overcoming career struggles.

Holstein said a significant part of college is about getting to know oneself better and maturing through successes and failures.

“It’s a glorious stage of life,” Holstein said. “You have a chance to fly, but it’s also filled with not fully understanding the ramifications of all the things that you do, and that’s wonderful.”

Holstein said someone who understands their capabilities and who they are as an individual is on the right track toward finding the best career path to take.

“[It’s about] becoming strong enough to recognize what is really right for you and what gives you purpose in life,” Holstein said. “It’s kind of a special spot in your heart and mind where you know you’re on target and doing the right things for yourself.”

The rest of the study can be found here.

Students who felt little regret about changing their career goals had a higher self-esteem than students who highly regretted their decision, and students who saw their career changes as a benefit had a higher self-esteem than students who felt they were not as beneficial, according to the studies.

Patrick Carroll, associate professor of psychology at Ohio State’s Lima campus, said using different techniques such as benefit finding — defined by the National Institute of Health as the “process of deriving positive growth from adversity” — can help people look for silver linings when experiencing a career change resulting from failures.

“When we can’t go on with something, we have a tendency to look at it as an abject failure, and I think that’s a mistake,” Carroll said. “I think every experience in life comes with downsides and upsides to it, and it’s just a matter of defining what the benefit might be out of those failure experiences.”

Positive psychologist, filmmaker and best-selling author Barbara Holstein, whose works include “The Enchanted Self: A Positive Therapy,” said doing something as simple as “sitting quietly and making a list of your talents and potential” can go a long way toward overcoming career struggles.

Holstein said a significant part of college is about getting to know oneself better and maturing through successes and failures.

“It’s a glorious stage of life,” Holstein said. “You have a chance to fly, but it’s also filled with not fully understanding the ramifications of all the things that you do, and that’s wonderful.”

Holstein said someone who understands their capabilities and who they are as an individual is on the right track toward finding the best career path to take.

“[It’s about] becoming strong enough to recognize what is really right for you and what gives you purpose in life,” Holstein said. “It’s kind of a special spot in your heart and mind where you know you’re on target and doing the right things for yourself.”

The rest of the study can be found here.