It’s just not simple being a job-seeker these days it seems. This morning, yet again, on some radio show there was a guy talking about how his job-seeking routine drove him nearly to distraction. It got me to thinking about how did that all happen to the poor guy.
But when you listen to all the experts talking about the demands of looking for work, it nearly is no surprise that the whole process would wreck people’s heads. It’s all about looking at all the job sites and recruitment pages for jobs that hardly exist. Then “bate” your cv into shape to suit the recruiter’s demands, then prostrate yourself on a spike at interview, then dutifully wait for the rejection letter and suck it all up before you go at it all over again. There must be an easier way!! – when I find out what it is I’ll let you know.
But in the mean time here’s one simple thought which may help the struggling job-seeker – that is to do the best you can.
It’s worth saying again, “Do the best you can“.
Don’t worry about the things that you can’t do. Don’t apply for jobs that you know you can’t get, all you will be doing is adding to your collection of rejection letters. Don’t think for one second about the qualifications and experience that you “don’t” have. Don’t even wish that you had them. Don’t panic about the thing’s that you aren’t, regardless of how much you might think it’s holding your career back that you’re not those things.
Instead, focus on all the things that you “can” do, the qualifications, interests and experiences that you already “do have” and the things that you “actually already are” which can help you to find work.
The recruitment industry is required to hold up the bar as high as they can get away with so that they can secure the best candidate for any job. To the extent that they’re nearly wrecking their own heads these days because the candidates in many job types are just not out there either, such is the changing nature of the employment market. But if that whole process is just getting you down, then try a different route to getting yourself gainfully employed.
I’m noticing these days more and more people on my LinkedIn list of “People you may know” who are now contractors, freelancers or otherwise self-employed. Would it be the end of the world if you just had to make yourself available to work for an hourly rate for a while even with a temp agency? If it gets you working quicker then give it a go. Once you’re back to feeling more positive again, then take on the job of leveraging your contacts again and seeing if you can get back to PAYE work, if you still want to. But the main message is all you can do is do your best. And then you can never have any regrets. That’s not to say to sit back on the task at hand and wait for the work to come to you either, but at least don’t be too hard on yourself to the extent that whenever you do land a job you’re burnt out already before you even get your feet under the desk.
Finally, if you’re a man and in a similar position to the guy on the radio, the organisation of men’s sheds seem to be worth a visit, or check out www.mindourmen.ie for some really practical constructive support.
Actor Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down