…and beyond.
Like about a bazillion other people at the moment, I’m looking for a new job.
And it is hard out there…! Of course, as a native Brit looking in my adopted France, I might have pushed the difficulty up to 12 but here are tricks I’ve been using to try and keep myself relatively sane. Putting these habits into place now will serve me well in my next job.
Handle rejection (as best you can!)
This is the biggest, hardest, most wearying thing.
Like most people, I struggle with this the most. As a pretty sensitive introvert, I’m still working out the balance between not taking it personally but also trying to pick out the value in criticsm.
Personal growth is the aim here.
Keep a record
Make yourself a spreadsheet of everything you apply for and all the details of why you applied to that specific company and your impressions of your interactions with them. What went well? What do you need to improve on? Any red flags? Questions?
It’ll help you follow all those leads, track your progress and hopefully keep motivated.
Share your story
Talk to people about what’s happening and how you’re finding it. A bit of sympathy now and then helps you feel less of a potato. And think of the network you already have. You never know when a new opportunity will come up.
Move that bod / Hot gurl walk / Get outside
I love morning walks here in Paris. Before the tourists trickle in, it’s pretty much empty and there’s a ghostly magic in the air. Find something that suits you and that moves your body. Anything to release some of that tension and build your confidence during this hard time.
This view and Dolly, what's not to like?
Also a great time to listen to an audiobook, podcast, album…
My current faves:
Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
Life is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, Bruce Feiler
I’ll be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara
Dolly Parton (especially Mule Skinner Blues)
Content Rookie podcast with Nicole Michaelis
Be your own hype man
Ok, fine. Have an off-day if needed, but don’t wallow in despair. It can be so tough while transitioning into a new career.
Know your own value and how your experience and skills can help you in your future role. I have my own personal motto that I repeat before each interview: “Be truthful, be confident, be yourself”.
To paraphrase Eminem, you just need one shot, one opportunity!
So onwards and upwards… let's go.
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