Dealing with the Highs and Lows of the Job Hunt

One week ago, there were thunderstorms in Wisconsin. Thunderstorms. In January.

It was crazy having the temperature be that warm! But then, it got colder the next day, and we had so much snow that they cancelled school. And a couple days later, the high temperature for the day was in the single digits. Today, we are back up to around the freezing mark and having snow.

Does your job search feel like that much of a roller coaster? One minute you are getting phone calls left and right, going to many networking events, having interviews, and so on. And then, nothing. No phone calls, no interviews. The inconsistency of it all is enough to frustrate even the calmest person.

It’s so easy to throw in the towel when things take a downturn — it just feels like nothing works no matter what you do! But the most important thing to keep in mind through everything is that you are not a total victim here.

Certainly, there are some things that are out of your control, but is that true for every aspect of a job search strategy? Definitely not. To help put this in perspective, let’s look at what is not and what is within your control.

What is not within your control

• Who is hiring
• The positions in your field/geographic area
• Who your competition is
• The personal biases of interviewers/people you meet at networking events
• Illnesses
• Other family emergencies
• Car/technology malfunctions

What is within your control

• The amount of online and offline networking you do
• How you dress when networking and interviewing
• What you put on your resume
• What you put in your cover letter
• The kind of online presence you have
• How well you are keeping current with your industry
• The attitude you choose to project
• Keeping a balance with your job search activities and other aspects of your life
• Delegating responsibilities
• Saying “No” to outside requests (Remember, active job searching is like a full-time job. Don’t allow others to dump activities on you because they are under the misconception that you have a lot of free time. You don’t.)
• Your openness to relocating or changing careers
• Building your circle of support

When you compare the two lists, there really is a great deal more that you can do to manage your situation. Instead of feeling like a hapless victim when an unexpected event happens, work through the initial shock of it and take inventory of what you can do to limit the effects of the bad situation.

What else have you done to take control when bad times come your way?

Image courtesy of The Weather Channel

Does this article resonate with you? Let’s work together for you and your career!