If you keep hitting the “Later” button for your job search, it might be one of the Fearsome Threesome: Procrastination, Perfectionism, Paralysis.
You’ve decided you’re going to take the big step to change jobs.
Any day now.
Except you need to finish this project. You should get through the holidays first. You don’t have quite enough money saved. You haven’t seen the right job opening pop up.
There are as many reasons not to start a job search as there are jobs.
I lump them together in the Fearsome Threesome: Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Paralysis.
Procrastination
If you put something scary on hold long enough, it will go away. The problem is that the reason you intended to do the scary thing doesn’t usually go away. It nags and nags and nags at the edges of your mind. You still hate your job; you still need to make more money, or you still need to move closer to your aging parents.
If this job change is something you truly want to do, then start. That really is the secret to procrastination. Even planning doesn’t help as much as just diving in. The momentum does something to us that helps us take that next step and the next and the next.
- If it’s the blank page of the resume that is tripping you up, use a tried-and-true writers block trick and write anything. Write “I don’t know what to write” until actual resume content starts occurring to you. (Or email me. I know what to write.)
- If picking up the phone is what is holding you back, start out with an email to someone asking for an introduction to the person you need to reach. That’s a better strategy than cold calling anyway. Hardly anyone likes to make or receive a cold call.
- If having the time to conduct the job search is keeping you from doing it, read this: Take your job search off your to-do list. Then schedule your job search tasks every day.
Perfectionism
Some would say that this is a form of procrastination, but I think of them differently because just starting doesn’t solve this. It rears its ugly head time and time again. (Can you tell I have some experience?)
This might be your roadblock if:
- You think sometimes you’re being too picky.
- Your friends say you’re expecting too much.
- You have been talking about a new job for months but haven’t found even one position to apply for.
- You have revised your resume more than twice without using it.
These signs tell me you want to change, but you’re worried it’s not the right thing, so worried in fact that you opt to do nothing. There are two ways to go with this:
- If your gut really is telling you it’s not the right time or the right opportunity, then wait. Stop looking until you’re ready. Otherwise, you will drive yourself and everyone around you crazy.
- If it’s the right time, and you do really want to look for a job, but you’re so unsure that everything looks dangerous, then I suggest taking baby steps. Decide on one thing to do. Let’s say it’s researching a company. Open up a blank page in Word. Open up your browser. Set your timer for 30 minutes. Now, go find everything you can possibly find about that company. Don’t worry about what kind of information. Don’t worry about what you’re going to do with the information when you have it. Don’t think about organizing the information. Focus on finding information about the company. When the timer goes off (which will be much sooner than you think!), decide if you want to set it for another 30 minutes or whether you want to stop for today. Repeat tomorrow.
Paralysis
The only time I’ve seen job seekers completely lose the ability to move forward with a search is after a trauma. They lose or quit their job suddenly, are diagnosed with a serious illness, lose a spouse or parent, get married or divorced, have a baby, or move. Stack up two or three of those huge stressors, and you could have a full-blown stand-still.
The only thing I’ve seen help paralysis is time and self care. Trying harder seems to send these already overburdened folks right over the edge. I’ve been one of them, and that’s how it felt to me, too.
What worked is easing off to whatever minimum works. If you can work without panic attacks, fine. If not, then take a vacation, leave, sabbatical, whatever will allow you to regroup.
The same with a job search. Back off until you can tolerate the activity level. If that means researching only one company a month, then so be it. You won’t do yourself any favors by pouring on the stress and requirements.
Other important things to keep up with include:
- Sleep.
- Nutrition.
- Family and friends.
- Spiritual Connection.
- Patience with yourself.
- Therapy if the paralysis lasts longer than a couple of weeks or if you’re having thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else.
- For more details on this process, read this article.
If your job search has slowed or stopped for any of these reasons, and you’re unable to pick up the pace on your own, contact me right away. I’ve experienced many of the circumstances personally and have coached other job seekers through them, as well. I can’t promise instant change, of course, but I can promise to let you know if I’m the right person to help you.
Related
- Focus: If your job has stolen your life, take it back
- Focus: How job seekers can resist multi-tasking
- Focus: Take your job search off your to-do list
Image courtesy Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net
