Calm on the Outside, Struggling on the Inside

Anyone who has been in job transition understands the title of this post very well.

A job search is a daily balancing act between excitement and disappointment. All of which can be quite a grind on your spirits. So as you sit in an interview, networking meeting, etc., you put on a strong face, but your stomach is doing back flips.

While a search is like work, the balancing act is unique to job search. So it’s tough to prepare for and manage. Most candidates just leave it inside; as you want to present a good image to everyone you meet.

It becomes one of those unspoken items, a bit like how much you earn a year that people wonder about each other. I am here to tell you that everyone goes through the same feelings at some point in a search. As the search goes on, the size of what you try to keep inside grows.

Two recommendations that helped me keep the size of what’s inside in check:
First, find a colleague with whom you can be completely honest and share your thoughts. No need for them to comment, there is something therapeutic to simply saying the words aloud.

Second, when with fellow colleagues, ask them how they keep their spirit strong – my experience has always been it leads to a powerful conversation (regardless of whether you are on the giving or receiving end).

Keeping your spirits strong is as important to manage as any other aspect of your search. It’s hard to totally eliminate your stomach’s back flips, but with some attention, you can keep them to small ones.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking
Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
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