Someone who gets my weekly newsletter recently shared with me their experience and how they are managing in the current tough job market.
They asked me to share this more widely in case it helps you as well. I'll be putting it on the blog on my website as well.
I just want to say: "Dear guest blogger (you know who you are!), you are just awesome! Thank you! Danke schön! Kia ora!"
So here goes:
"I’m approaching the 12 month mark of applying for jobs… I’ve had three interviews so far, and two of the positions were filled by internal candidates - the most recent I’m waiting to hear back. I’m fairly capable and experienced - but it’s brutal out there!
So to keep sane, I’ve become more careful in managing my time. Job hunting is a full time job, with no pay, and few breakthrough experiences. (*Erfolgserlebnisse)
It feels like I’ve lots of time on my hands, but taking care of the kids and household does not leave that much over. Work expands to fill the time, and a week can slip by with a feeling of nothing done. So I’ve structured my week as follows:
Monday - Study or upskilling
Tuesday - Networking and job hunting
Wednesday - Voluntary work
Thursday - Life admin and outside/self-care time
Friday - Depends on the week
These are recurring appointments in my calendar. On Mondays I check the weather, and what else is on, and adjust as required. Each morning I check the job ads, and when something comes up, I drop everything else and put in my application.
The voluntary work is my most rewarding day - it’s a great bunch of people, and I get that sense of achievement. If this is somehow tangentially linked to your profession, it helps build your network."
Some questions for you:
Have you been in a similar situation before?
What helped you to get through it?
In what way can you draw upon that experience now?
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