I’m going to skip the small talk and get right to it!
11 Hacks To Get You Through The Tough Job Market
Cry.
Whenever you feel the urge to cry, do it. My preferred time to cry during my job search was at night and by myself. Then I prayed and asked for guidance. It’s never silly to cry or ask for help, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed. You get one day to cry but then move forward.
Rant (unfiltered) and Rant (professionally).
Both are great, just make sure you’re smart about how you rant. Unfiltered ranting should be reserved for friends and family who have no skin in the game. They shouldn’t really know what you do or be close to anyone you work with.
Professional ranting should be more like a brainstorming session for your career goals. Find a mentor who can help you shape and mold the steps you need to take to get to where you want to go.
Make a plan.
I’m the worst at actually planning. I write down goals and dreams I’d like to accomplish. I talk them over with friends and family, but those small little details and habits that are necessary to achieve them are always the hardest to document and execute for me.
If you’re like me, you might need a little push. I recently developed a “Going Rogue” guide to help young professionals design their own career paths. I think it’s a really good way to identify what you like and what you’re good at. You can use it as a starting point if you’re extremely lost right now.
Never stop dreaming & DON’T SETTLE.
There will be times when you start to make breakthroughs. You’ll be tired of interviewing, networking, and proving your worth. You will be offered roles that will be a little better than where you are now, but they won’t be what you really want. Don’t settle.
Don’t rush.
A family friend once told me that “no one is rushing you but you.”
What he was saying was that sometimes people are so eager to break out of where they are, that they accept something or allow someone else to convince them to dive into something that they don’t truly want. That would be settling. Don’t cheat your dreams by settling or rushing!
Don’t take everything so seriously.
I’ve learned that people have good intentions during this interview process, but a lot of times it just won’t pan out. No lie, in the past, the jobs that I didn’t stress out about are the ones that I ended up taking and enjoying the most. So do the same, don’t stress, and enjoy the journey.
Take a break.
Even for me, it was hard to take a break. I’d be up super late at night pixel pushing on my resume and submitting to jobs. I even was doing this at a sleepover with friends at one point. My friends thought I was totally bananas.
I say all that to say, take a break. It’s okay. I like to remind myself that most jobs stay up for a month or so and it takes companies even longer (like 3+ months) to fill a role. Some companies even take down roles and post them again!! Cray, I know. So don’t stress, it’s okay to not apply right then and there.
READY TO TAKE A BREAK?
Why don’t you take a quick break?
Take a few minutes to get to know yourself better with the Breakroom Buddha “Going Rogue” guide.
This quick resource guide will help you answer questions like:
- Who am I?
- What type of impact do I want to make?
- What are my values?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Become more self-aware and adjust.
During this process, you will learn a lot about yourself as a professional and what you will and won’t put up within your next chapter. For example, as a professional, I learned that I was missing a few pieces for where I was headed. And I got those nuggets by asking for feedback from my interviews.
It’s a good idea to take self assesments and/or career tests as well. I like them because they help me understand my strengths and my blindspots (or things I need to work on).
Learn how you like to work.
From a work perspective, I learned that remote work is best for me and I did not like the idea of sitting in an office every day. I also discovered that I really value my time, so avoiding cultures that have excessive meetings was best for me.
Those insights won’t come overnight but every time you talk to someone new in an interview or coffee chat, really listen to what they’re saying about their work environments, past experiences with the company, etc. People leave clues all the time. They can’t help it!
No doesn’t mean no.
It means “not right now.” I say this because I’ve had opportunities come back to me after initially being told no during my own job search. The best thing to do here remains to contact the team or hiring manager. This is especially true if you have a mutually amazing experience with an amazing team but the stars don’t quite align at that exact moment. It’s okay!
Don’t burn bridges.
Be as pleasant and humble as possible during your job search. You absolutely never know who you’ll need or come face to face with again in the future. Remember everyone’s career journey is fluid so even if you’re switching industries, you could see some of the same people again!
What did I miss? Leave your job-hunting journey tips in the comments below!