In over three decades working with clients in job search, technology and other factors have changed. But people’s rationalizations for not “doing the work” – not so much. Here are some I’ve heard.
Top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t look for a job today:
- You looked yesterday. That’s enough for this week.
- Your mother-in-law is coming for a visit, so you need to hang around.
- The maintenance person is coming between 8 and 2, and you don’t want to miss him or her.
- The weather is bad.
- You were up late last night binge watching a Netflix series.
- It’s a holiday season (pick one); you wouldn’t want to impose on anyone.
- You’ve misplaced your good-luck charm and can’t start your search until you find it.
- The pet hamster passed away, and you are preparing the funeral.
- Your horoscope said you shouldn’t contact people in positions of authority today.
- It’s a full moon.
Top 10 reasons why you should look for a job today:
There aren’t ten. Not if you want to find a new job!
Where to begin and when to start.
You’re looking for a job. Where do you begin? Job search can be confusing and overwhelming. Much of it revolves around figuring out what you want, where that is, marketing to get it, and keeping it (once you’ve landed). I don’t know where you are. The time to start your job search will depend on your situation. Do you have enough money saved to go traipsing off to Europe backpacking, or do you need to find a job, so you can buy groceries and pay the mortgage? Each person’s situation is unique, so you will have your own timeline.
Take a critical look at your situation. How long do you have to look for work? Do you have adequate funds to sustain you for months, or do you have to land right now? The amount of time you have to look for work will greatly influence how you go about your job search.
3 stages of the search.
For many people, there are three stages to go through before committing to anything.
- The excuses stage, in which you make excuses and don’t do things because deep down you aren’t really sure if you can – or want to.
- The quitting stage, when you simply give up for whatever reasons you can rationalize.
- The do-it stage. You realize you just have to get out there and go for it.
A good way to make a commitment is to tell other people what your goals are. It tends to keep us working harder when people are continually asking about our progress or status. Everyone is different, of course, and some people may whiz right to the do-it stage. Unfortunately, if you are unhappy about having to look for a job, it may take a little effort to get to stage three. How do you speed up the process?
Think of your job search as an exciting challenge and a great way to meet lots of interesting new people! This can help you keep talking to new people and will help you keep a positive attitude. Once you decide to begin looking, start right then. The feature movie on the Hallmark Channel can wait until another time.
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