Burnt Out From Job Searching? Let's tackle it head on.
Job hunting can be an interesting journey, filled with excitement, discoveries, learning, anticipation, and at times, frustration.
The constant cycle of applying, interviewing, waiting for responses, or chasing up the next steps with little to no success can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being.
In this article (which has turned into a blog post) we'll explore 3 strategies to help you overcome interview and job hunting fatigue, so you can maintain your motivation (and sanity) until you secure that next job:
Before we delve in, first piece of advice is to try not to compare yourself to others. While there may be many on the same journey as you, the path you take will be unique.
1. The Power of Reflecting and Resetting before Restarting Your Pursuit
If you’ve been job hunting for a long time, it’s a good idea to reflect, reset, then restart the job hunting.
Reflect
I am a huge fan of the book "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. My partner introduced this book to me in the early days of our relationship and it really helped me to change my life for the better. I am continuously (trying) to focus my energy into controlling what is in my control, and letting go of anything that isn't.
“If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgement now.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
When I am struggling with something, I will often do a reflection activity to keep my overactive mind clean from invasive thoughts, and to try and plan out my next steps.
A Simple 4 Step Reflection Exercise:
1.??????Make a list: What have I done so far to secure a new job?
2.??????Out of those things, what could I have improved on?
3.??????What am I frustrated about when it comes to job hunting?
4.??????Take that list of frustrations and split it into two columns:
I hope this reflection will provide you some actionable items to improve on once you kick off job hunting v2.0.
But before you do, take some time off from job hunting to de-stress. Stress can make it difficult to focus, make decisions, and recall information, so it's in your best interest to ensure you're as ready as possible for interviews, phone calls, and then signing that new employment contract!
Reset
Being a job hunter in the sea of applicants in today's highly competitive market, taking care of yourself should be seen as paramount.
Just as athletes require rest and recovery to perform at their best, my advice to job seekers is to give yourself permission to step away from the job search whenever needed.
“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.” – Bryant McGill
Engage in activities that soothe your mind and body.
Whether it's reading a book, taking a leisurely walk, practicing meditation, sitting by the ocean, or pursuing a creative hobby, engaging in calming activities will help reduce your stress. As will self-care; regular exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep, positively impacting your overall well-being and help you be resilient during the job hunt.
Regarding self-care, pay attention to your mental health. Even simple self-care tasks can be tough if struggling with mental health. Rejections are part of the process and do not define your worth. Seek support from friends, family, or professionals, as sharing experiences with friends, mentors, or support groups can provide fresh perspectives and help you stay motivated.
Do not treat self-care as a luxury; it should be seen an essential investment into your well-being.
1 in 5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year.?And roughly 60% of these people won’t seek help.
If you're considering seeking professional help, but aren't sure where to start or feel hesitant, I highly recommend exploring Black Dog Institute 's website. They're Australia's only medical research institute investigating mental health across the lifespan, offering valuable free resources to help you begin without committing to a full on mental health plan.
2. Mastering The Art of Job Hunting
It's easy to get lost in the fray, applying for countless positions in the hopes of landing any opportunity. However, when you shift from a numbers game to a well-organised and strategic pursuit, it can maximise your chances of success per application.
A greater number of applications does not always equal a job offer when it's a tough market for candidates.
Being intentional and organised in your job search will almost also certainly increase your prospects of securing a new role that aligns with your aspirations and strengths. However, this approach does require thoughtful planning, research, and focused applications showcasing your skills and qualifications.
If you're stuck as to where to start, here are some resources to help:
Wylan provides some really awesome tips and tricks here for setting up job alerts, boolean searches and more to help people level up their job searching.
One of my friends in tech who takes an incredibly well organised and thorough approach to job hunting is ?? Sam Connelly, I highly recommend you read her blog post recounting her own personal experience job hunting in 2022:
Sam created the following spreadsheet for all her job applications to track the status of each application easily:
I want to highlight 5 key aspects of her spreadsheet I believe would be very helpful for following up on job leads:
Overall, her blog post provides a lot of food for thought:
领英推荐
"When posting, “I’m looking for work” on LinkedIn, try not to sound desperate. I’ve seen a few I’m depressed/need to support my family posts and I know it can be very stressful to be out of work when you haven’t planned it. But companies are more likely to take advantage of you in this situation."
?Instead, she recommends to include the following in an post:
Utilise those points when messaging your network for help with your job hunt too, and whenever possible, I also recommend to include the following in your messages too:
I get a lot of messages on here and it's incredibly hard to keep on top of it all, so I don't tend to reply to people who come across as spammy, or bot-like, or give no context to their message.
Here's an example of a great message from someone I haven't spoken to before:
After receiving this message, we set up a time to have a call and had a great conversation. I have no doubt this awesome candidate will land a brilliant new opportunity soon (hopefully through me!)
3. Diversify Your Approach
If you're solely relying on online job listings and have had little to no success then consider expanding your methods. Attend networking events, industry conferences, and workshops to meet potential employers and learn about hidden job opportunities. Various studies show that 60-80% of jobs in Australia are not advertised.
Networking can provide a supportive community that understands the challenges of the job hunt.
For Australian Software Testing Professionals, here are some great networking events or groups to follow:
Australia Wide:
BeerOps is Australia's largest independent technology networking event! They host awesome in person networking events with 1000+ attendees!
YOW! Conferences have events scheduled this year in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth:
Sydney
Brisbane
Melbourne
Aside from networking at in person events, recruiters can also be huge allies for you on your job hunting journey.
A few years back, Lead Quality Analyst, Jonathan Frazer interviewed me for an article on his page around how the relationship between candidates and recruiters is just straight up symbiosis: 'Interaction between two different organisms operating in close association, typically to the advantage of both.'
The full article "How one recruiter thinks you can do better" is linked below. I hadn't read this one in a while, it's interesting to find that my views haven't changed at all 3 years on. https://tinyurl.com/article-jonathan-frazer
So if you're not leveraging relationships with recruiters, I guarantee you're missing out of jobs that aren't even advertised.
There's a caveat to this advice though, make sure you do your due diligence and ensure you're putting your trust into recruiters that are reputable and ethical.
Final Thoughts
As you embark on your job hunting journey, remember that it's more than a mere search for employment—it can be an exploration of your potential, a test of your resilience, and an opportunity for personal growth.
The strategies discussed here aim to offer a roadmap to navigate the ups and downs of this journey with more control and determination. So what should you do next?
Set some realistic goals. Break down your job search into manageable steps. Instead of fixating on the end result (getting a new job offer), focus on daily or weekly goals, such as applying to a certain number of positions, reaching out to a specific number of connections, or following up with all the jobs you applied for last week. Then celebrate those small victories until you've got that new employment offer!
I wish you good luck as you embark on the new leg of your job hunting journey, and will end here with the words of Arthur Ashe:
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
About Me
My name is Lisa Pfitzner, Quality Engineering & Testing Recruiter at Preacta. I've been specialising in hiring software testing and quality engineering talent since 2018 and am passionate about advocating for this field as it's often undervalued or misunderstood in the technology landscape.
Preacta are a global business on a mission to set a new benchmark in recruitment and talent.
Recently, I am proud to have co-hosted Sydney Testing Talks Conference , and led a panel discussion on the day about "How to Future Proof Your Career", and launched Quality Connection, a new meetup group to help professionals in software testing and quality engineering to connect, learn and inspire.
Need help with recruiting or job search? Reach out!
??0458 881 668
?? I recruit the best Development and Delivery professionals for the renewable energy sector in Australia.
1 年This is quality!
Quality Engineering Lead at PEXA | Data Enthusiast | Mental Health First Aider
1 年Great points ??
Practice Architect at Planit | Founder of Testing Talks
1 年Really interesting read! ??
Head of Quality Engineering at Tyro Payments, Speaker, Founder Member of Quality Engineering - Community of Practice Group
1 年Great article Lisa Pfitzner , thanks for taking the time and effort to share this.
LinkedIn Top Voice | Helping Migrant job seekers & International Students | Organizer of Job Hunt 2.0 Meetup | Speaker | Engineering Team Lead
1 年Appreciate the tag Lisa! Job search is such a non rewarding and lonely journey, it's important to take care of yourselves. Very good points you've mentioned in there!