Jean's last job was so dreadful that she's in therapy. Although she received severance and was promised a decent, if not glowing reference, she knows she was fired for cause. Mike failed as a consultant. He had the skills, but couldn't sell himself.

Howard's division was closed partly because his ideas didn't work and now he is cursed with unrelenting guilt. Although all three are urgently in need of a job, they are suffering from an all-time low confidence level. Given their feelings, how can they possibly pull their shattered self-esteem together? Aren't they likely to appear as dispirited and shaken as they feel?

Consider this: If people only looked for new jobs when they felt great about themselves, companies would be forced to close for lack of workers. Overwhelmingly, job hunting is an ego-bruising process. Anyone who says he enjoys the process is probably smoking something funny. From age 18 to death, job hunters fear negative feedback, judge themselves against impossible standards, and beat themselves up for not being perfect. How then do those who do sell themselves well do it?

For openers, they do not waste time fretting that every smart, competent and motivated person with education and experience equal to their own will surely be interviewing for the same job. They focus on the positives.

They also obey all the rules of job hunting. Process can carry you when you're having trouble, just as putting one foot in front of the other will move you along the path no matter how bad you feel. Here are some other things that work for them.

They want to do the job. It's that simple. They focus on the job they want and why they want it instead of dwelling on their insecurities. They thoroughly research the organization and can ask one or two incisive questions based on what they've read in the trade press or learned from conversations with former employees. They prepare intelligent questions about the job content and they listen carefully to confirm - or not - that this is indeed the job for them.

They mentally savor and replay their past successes. They reread their resumes often as an ego-builder. (Have you ever seen a resume that highlighted the candidate's failures and shortcomings?) It works. When the candidate is asked by the interviewer - who has not yet read the candidate's resume - what he has accomplished on his present job, there is never a pause for thought. Failures are consigned to the bottom drawer of the mental filing cabinets.

This is possible. You can will yourself to stop thinking about your failures by focusing so deeply on the present and your current goals that there is no room for doubts and bad memories.

They concentrate on the hirer's needs. This is probably the oldest trick for blocking self-doubt: Think about the other person's wants and needs. For example, "I'm sure this guy doesn't want to interview. It's probably taking valuable time away from his work. I can make this less disagreeable for him by presenting who I am and what I can do for him quickly and effectively. Perhaps I should start by running down the job description and matching his needs with my skills." Even if you are wrong about the hirer, he will be impressed by a candidate who makes an efficient and concise presentation, saving time and making the process work.

They remember to smile a lot. For some reason, a smile convinces a hirer that you're enthused and energetic. It is the ultimate positive body language. Years ago, a psychology professor conducted an experiment in which he discovered that job hunters who smiled at the interviewer about every 90 seconds actually calmed the hirer's anxiety. As if any of us ever though a hirer could be anxious! Smiling can actually help to lessen your own case of nerves, too.

They stay busy. To stay upbeat between interviews, the smart job hunter occupies himself by scheduling meetings with contacts, researching companies, taking a course, doing volunteer work, etc. She does not brood in isolation. Many unemployed people hide in their homes. This is completely unproductive and is guaranteed to generate negative thinking. Do you think an employer will come to flush you out? Forget compulsively rearranging the closets and alphabetizing your books. Being too busy and seeing too many people is the much better alternative. No day should pass without at least coffee with a contact. Upbeat job hunters also report that physical exercise not only makes them feel more positive but helps them sleep better.

Their behavior doesn't reflect their reality. That means they employ method acting. They do not relive the past; they live each day as if they were already working a dream job. An out-of-work candidate who arrives breathless - but still on time - for an interview, convinces not only himself that he's productive, busy, and in demand, but the interviewer as well. "If this upbeat, (seemingly) confident fellow is so busy, he must have something going for him." It's a superficial judgment but everything about job hunting is superficial and of the moment. That's OK. Don't be surprised if you begin to feel better about the search and spend less time revisiting bad memories. And, when you get hired, these same techniques can keep you upbeat through your first weeks at your new job.