Being stuck in the midst of a layoff is a rough spot to be in. There’s the whole laundry list of advice that you’re supposed to follow (Note: not in order of importance):
- Get your résumé in shape
- Connect with your network
- Attend events to grow your network
- Clean up you online presence
- Develop you personal brand
- Get on Twitter
- Get on LinkedIn
- Start a blog
- Put up a nice picture of yourself on your social media accounts (or get a headshot taken)
- Comment on other blogs
- Participate on Twitter and LinkedIn
- Figure out your financial situation
- Stay current in your field by taking a class
- Volunteer
- Do an internship
- Find part-time work or freelance
- Eat healthy foods
- Get enough exercise
- Get enough sleep
- Write cover letters
- Apply for jobs
- Send thank-you letters
- Cherish the time with your family
(And the list goes on…)
The point is, there is all this advice screaming at you to “do this” and “do that” and “make this a priority” — oh, and it all should be done right now every single day! (Or feels like it should anyway…)
I don’t know about you, but reading that list above makes my head hurt.
If you try to keep up at that pace, you’re going to wear yourself out completely!
When you feel panicked about all the things you are trying to do, stop and breathe. Just breathe for a moment to let your mind calm down.
It doesn’t all need to be done today. If the place you are in would lead you to do something in a haphazard way, better to put it off a day to get you in a better frame of mind for the task. Even if it’s some deadline that is due today (like the closing date of a posting), ask yourself, “Is it better for me to turn in something that I am sure will not be good just to get it in, or should I wait for the next opportunity so the company’s first impression of me is the best it can be?”
If you can’t put the task off, just do it to the best of your ability in that moment and be done with it. Don’t stress about it — just move on to the next thing (or unwind with your favorite adult beverage).
How do you keep from getting overwhelmed in your job search?
Image courtesy of Zach Klein
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