Fighting against the tide can be frustrating and exhausting. It’s natural to get discouraged and … [+]
It’s the new year and you’re thinking about switching jobs. Once the holiday season comes to a close and it’s back to business as usual, you recall everything that’s been annoying you—a narcissistic boss, sniping co-workers, lousy pay, no upward mobility and a lack of purpose and meaning.
Once you’ve concluded that nothing will change, it’s time to start searching. At the same time, you owe it to yourself to at least give it one more try. Arrange a meeting with your manager to discuss their plans for your future. There’s a possibility that the boss thinks highly of you and has big things in mind for your advancement within the organization. If that is the case, say “thank you” and run with the opportunity. To hedge your bets, keep an eye open for a new role, just in case the manager defaults back to their micromanaging, bullying ways.
Control What You Can Control
Start with taking control over what you can control. Hire a career coach to help write a new résumé and LinkedIn profile. Reach out to headhunters who specialize in placing people in your sector. Keep check of your mindset. This will be a marathon and not a sprint. There will be rejections, ghosting and rude treatment. It’s an unfortunate part of the interview process.
Focus on the small wins—a call back for a second interview, an introduction to a recruiter, a job lead from a former colleague or a friend at a target company that recommends you for a job you’re interested in.
You have only so much control over the interview process, but you can maintain complete control over how you react to events. Instead of instinctively becoming depressed when an interview bombs, take a pause and process what happened. Look at it head-on with clarity and objectivity. “Is it really that bad or am I overreacting?” Even in a tough spot, you need to find the mental fortitude to think of positive solutions to improve things. Rather than punishing yourself, consider what you did right and think of what you could have done better, so you’ll be prepared for the next interview.
Avoid Falling Into A Funk
The United States is currently undergoing what is being deemed a white-collar recession, with thousands of college-graduate office workers laid off from top firms, such as Goldman Sachs, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce and Microsoft. Hiring freezes and job offer withdrawals are becoming commonplace as businesses tighten their belts to cut costs and save money to get through an anticipated recession. January is a prime time to interview, and with a large number of out-of-work professionals in your sector, it will be competitive.
Fighting against the tide can be frustrating and exhausting. It’s natural to get discouraged and lose faith. Despite setbacks, such as being rejected for a follow-up interview, an offer being made to someone who you feel has less experience than you and having meetings canceled at the last minute, you need to remain mentally and emotionally strong. Remember, it’s not just you. This is a systemic issue affecting everyone. When you are at a low point, think of all the times you’ve succeeded and overcome obstacles.
Stick To The Game Plan
It’s essential to have an attack plan. This calls for a schedule to accomplish certain goals each and every day. On a daily basis, submit your résumé to jobs that fit your background and interests, speak with people in your network to see if they are aware of any open roles, ping your recruiter for updates, post on LinkedIn to burnish your brand and roleplay interviewing to stay sharp.
To keep a balance, exercise, practice self-care, engage in hobbies and meet with friends and family. Try meditation, breathing exercises and yoga to offer some calmness.
Shut off the television, stop doomscrolling on Twitter and avoid looking at social media sites that feature manufactured lives that make you feel bad about yourself. Stay away from junk food, alcohol and drugs. Tune out anything that may get in your way.
If You Are In Between Jobs, Don’t Disappear From Society
When people lose their job, they feel despondent and shy away from socializing. They make excuses to get out of previously committed engagements, as they dread having to tell people that they’re unemployed. The laid-off professional, who has their identity tied to their job, feels like a failure. They are concerned that peers will look down on them. They don’t want to keep repeating the story of how they were downsized and getting pitiful looks from family and friends.
Although you want nothing more than to put the covers over your head and stay in bed all day, take action and control over the situation. This is the time when you must reach out to people in person and online. If they don’t know you need a new job, they can’t help.
Prepare a brief pitch about what happened. “After 10-plus years at ABC Widget Company, along with several thousands of other employees, I was let go due to the deteriorating economic situation and its impact on my organization.” When people offer their condolences, quickly inform them, “Thank you for your concern. I’m secretly happy that this happened. I loved my job and career. If the reorganization never occurred, I would have probably stayed another 10 years at the company. I look at this as my reason to try something new. I interpreted this as a sign that I should take stock of my life and work and pursue a new opportunity that gets me excited to get out of bed in the morning. It’s time to meet new people, take on challenges and build the next chapter of my career.”
You’re A Fighter And A Winner
Psych yourself up. Before you go into a video interview, put on whatever music gets you pumped up. Have some coffee to get your adrenaline up, but not too much as to avoid the jitters and dry mouth. Do a little dance, jumping jacks or jog in place to get the blood flowing. Speak with someone before the interview to warm up and get comfortable talking.
Even with a good attitude, there will be bad days. Fight through it and keep moving. An object in motion stays in motion. One thing leads to another, if you keep on pushing forward. It’s also a numbers game. If you consistently submit résumés, ask for job leads, interview, work with recruiters, network on social media sites and in the real world, eventually, you’ll break through and secure a great new job.
