You have probably heard it before: “The job search is a marathon, not a sprint race” but that saying sucks and lands flat with me. I was in the middle of an eight month job search a couple of years ago. I won’t go into details but is sucked. Most people who spout off about how you should do this or do that in your job search probably have little to no idea what it is like.
I was listening to the @Gimletmedia show @podcaststartup when they mentioned the “trough of sorrow” that start-up founders go through. It is also easy to also fall into the trough of sorrow in your job search. I blame it on your job search kryptonite.
Everyone has job search kryptonite but it can be different for each person. For most people it is a rejection email. For others it can be hearing about a friend got that promotion they wanted. Or for many it is the “encouragement” from others that sounded more like platitudes:
- You’ll find something at the right time.
- The right job is out there for you.
- If they would just interview you they would see how great you are.
I know they mean well but you know what they say… “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
So if you get hit with job search kryptonite you need to have some “power-ups” ready to counteract them and get you back on track. Game designer Jane McGonigal developed a real life game called SuperBetter. You need to see the job search for what it is… a game. A very serious game with very serious consequences, but a game none the less.
So take stock in you job search. Figure out what your kryptonite is and what your power-ups are and get back in the game!
Al
The best people are always terrified they’re about to be fired while the mediocre ones are always shocked when they are.
Unknown