Sometimes your job campaign feels like it will never end. Like any long-term project, starting can be both scary and exhilarating, and small breakthroughs can give you motivation to continue while small obstacles require a pep talk from a friend and an extra cup of coffee to keep going. But what happens when you’ve been on the job campaign for weeks or months?
Let’s assume, for now, that you’re approaching the job campaign with more strategy than “submit applications.” (If not, well, reach out and we’ll talk.) Then, you either need to adjust your strategy or–and this is most likely–remember what normal feels like on the job trail. I’ll talk about signs for when you need to adjust your search campaign strategy another time. For now, let’s focus on “re-normalizing.”
Job campaigns can take a LONG time, depending on variables such as your experience levels, the job market, and your geographic interests. Six months is reasonable for a job search. One strategy for “re-normalizing” is to think of something else in your life that took you six months to finish. Think of a moment from the beginning of that time, the middle of that time, and the end result of that project. For example, I once followed a half marathon training schedule that lasted 6 months. I was not in great shape at the beginning and remember having to alternate walking and running every 5 minutes. By the middle of the training, I felt good enough to volunteer with a youth group to encourage kids to get running and easily ran 5k races. By the end of the training I ran a 2:10 half marathon, which is something I would not have been able to do 6 months prior. It wasn’t the fastest time ever, but I ran that race from start to finish.
If you can look back to the beginning of your job campaign to what you had to implement to even get started, or the activities that seemed incredibly scary at first, and then recognize your learning and achievements, it will feel like you are progressing, even if you haven’t yet reached your finish line. Revamping your resume in a big way, such as focusing on broad skill areas rather than chronological order was a big change, was hard to do at first. But as you became more comfortable with your messaging, you may have forgotten how much you accomplished by that rebrand.
This leads me to the second element of “re-normalizing.” Sometimes when we focus on what we still need to do (i.e. get a job), we forget all the things that we’ve already done to get to where we are. Just as you can keep a training log when you’re training for marathons, I encourage people to keep a journal for the job campaign. This is especially important at the end of the day and at the end of the week. Note the things you got done, the people with whom you connected, the online trainings you watched, the networking events you attended. (Notice I didn’t mention counting the number of applications you submitted?) Even small steps like getting that first phone screening interview are things to track. If you maintain a list at the end of each day and then read it to yourself at the end of the week, it will help you to “re-normalize” just how many small achievements you earned. Reread your list on Monday morning to help you plan your tasks for the upcoming week.
While a full job search can talk a long time, there are steps you can take to help yourself recognize your hard work. I hope some of these tips will keep you motivated for the duration of your campaign. And if you need more advice on creating an effective job search strategy, contact me!
Pursuits Career Management 