Life is made up of transitions. Sometimes we’re ready for them — such as relocating to a new city after months of planning, a long-awaited marriage ceremony or graduation from college.
Other times, change comes as a surprise — like the unexpected death of a loved one, or news that you have not one baby, or two, but triplets on the way.
Whether it’s expected or unexpected, a significant shift in your life can throw everything out of whack. It can distract you from daily tasks. Force you to change your priorities. Motivate you to make new decisions.
Let’s say that you’ve been focusing on your job search for about six months. You’ve made connections. Taken risks. Learned lessons. Revised your strategy.
Perhaps you even have a few interviews scheduled for later this week. You already dropped off your suit at the dry cleaner, researched the potential employers and made copies of your resume. You’re ready to go.
And then something happens. Something important. It could be big or small, painful or rippling with joy.
It’s easy to make calls, cancel interviews. It’s slightly harder to postpone them, but it can be done. What are your instincts telling you to do?
If you choose to abandon your job-search efforts, that’s OK. People will support you. Maybe you need to pursue a different direction, one that you hadn’t thought of before this point. When life settles down, think about your options. Come up with a new plan.
If you decide to keep your job search rolling, tending to it once in a while instead of every day, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Establish open lines of communication. Tell the people in your job-search network what’s going on. If you choose not to share personal matters, at least give them a heads-up about your timeline. You don’t want people running at top-speed on your behalf when you are proceeding at a leisurely pace.
Make the most of free time. During a life change, many people need extra time for dealing with logistics and plans, or for quiet time, just to reflect.
If you can, stow away some of your private time for individual job-search tasks, whatever is most pressing. Revise your cover letter over breakfast. Go over a few interview questions while relaxing on the porch. One thing at a time, without overdoing it.
Be patient. Patience is a critical factor in any job hunt, even for candidates who seek employment in every waking hour, running full-speed ahead to find new opportunities.
Since you have personal affairs drawing you away from career searching, it may take longer to land the job of your dreams. By slowing down the pace of your actions, you delay the results. It’s simple cause and effect.
Don’t let the new timeline frustrate you. Take a deep breath, and move forward step by step. Some days you may have more time or energy, so take advantage of it. Other days, you’ll find yourself focusing on other things. Let yourself be.
One final note — don’t forget to ask for help if you need it. Family, friends and community resources are available to give advice and support. Lean on them. They’ll help you transition to steadier times.
Send your job search questions to eve.getajob@gmail.com.
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