Job searches are taxing, and it makes sense to do extra self-care things when conducting one. I’m interested in ways of hunting for jobs that are good for maintaining self-esteem, taking the regular stuff, like exercise and sleep, for granted. In particular, how do you keep from feeling...
Overwhelmed? How you keep track of all the job boards, and how often do you check them?
Low Self-Esteem? Are there sayings you remind yourself of when you feel down?
Clueless? At what point do you stop browsing job boards and start an application? How do you balance between public postings and networking efforts?
I know all these feelings are natural to some degree, so tips for being generally efficient are also welcome!
A couple tips that seemed to help me:
If you notice yourself endlessly scrolling job boards, making lists of possible jobs, and never actually applying to them, then try out a rule that you have to apply as soon as you have three jobs you’re excited about. That way, more of your effort is focused on actually getting apps send.
I found job hunting really aversive because felt like I was trying to sell something. A few conversations helped me view it more as a mutual exploration where we’re trying to work toward the same goal—finding if this is a good fit for both sides. I don’t think it will help in all cases, but it worked wonders for me.
I made a folder of shortcuts to the relevant job boards/company sites, and then checked the whole list at some interval that I don’t now remember. Having the list reduced the worry that I was forgetting someplace.
One thing that might be helpful is to set aside specific times to work on job hunting, and to only check job boards, work on applications etc. during those hours. The rest of the time, try to forget about it altogether.
Most tasks are much less overwhelming when you know you only have to work on them for a set amount of time. (Rather than constantly feeling like you should be doing something).