The Psychology Of The Job Hunt Through COVID-19
With the COVID pandemic continuing to disrupt all industries, the recruitment process has also been affected through revised timelines, moving budgets, and some industries seeing a surge in people, where others big reductions of workforce.
If you are currently seeking employment, now more than ever, it is important to be mentally prepared for your next job and position yourself in the best environment to experience success.
Treat job hunting, like a job
Loss of income and change in your daily structure can create feelings of anxiety, depression, and disconnection. But with a new role, comes new opportunities.
While you are job hunting, set yourself a daily and weekly plan to implement structure. Tasks will relate directly to your job search but also other activities and self-care. Create routines and projects to allow time for interviews and applications whilst also allowing time for social and other interests.
Take that mid-morning walk along the beach guilt-free because you are confident that you have an effective plan in place for the week.
Enforce rules such as no LinkedIn or checking Seek after 6 pm. Take long lunches, this can help reset yourself for the afternoon. Organise your time and outline boundaries. Set up alerts through the job boards to ensure that they are working for you behind the scenes while you are spending quality time with family.
Partner with a trusted recruiter that specialises in your industry or your technical field. You can leverage off their local knowledge to ensure that you are focussing on buoyant sectors and tap into their networks. They will guide you and provide expert advice every step of the way. This will reduce your own time commitment, and it's no cost to you.
Learn new skills
With extra time, now is a great time to upskill. There are many short course options online these can help boost your CV. Try and keep it focused and relevant to your specialist field.
Delve into the latest book about management, leadership, change management, operational excellence, etc.
Skills could also be non-work-related such as a hobby or volunteering which can assist your wellbeing.
Staying Positive
Staying mentally well and positive when experiencing disappointments and uncertainty can be a difficult task, however, this resilience can be one of the keys to finding re-employment and regaining life fulfillment. The recruitment process can often take 4 weeks, or even longer. At the best of times, the recruitment process can be a roller-coaster on repeat. Questions we hear often from our candidates are:
Why am I not hearing from employers?
Why such a delay in scheduling the second interview?
Why have I been waiting for over a week for the job offer they promised me?
It’s important to remind yourself that the process will take the same amount of time whether you go with or against it, so remain positive and remember that with COVID happening, there are many additional factors that companies need to navigate in these unprecedented times.
Create a simple plan for yourself with all the things you should do down one side, and things you should not do on the other side of the page. Keep this on the fridge so it remains insight and stay aware of your actions and mindset. Self-awareness will be your best friend through this time as will self-discipline to stay true to the course you set.
Remember, many people are in the same boat as you, you are not in this alone. Talk with friends, family, professional networks, and your appointed recruitment consultant to keep you focused and positive.
