If you’re struggling in this job market right now, this one’s for you. I shared a similar post on Linkedin yesterday and it really resonated with folks, so I decided to expand on it here.
I’m always here to help so if this brings up any questions about your job search, please hit reply and let’s chat.
You've done everything right and you still can't get a job.
Mainstream job search advice puts all the responsibility on you. It tells you to optimize your resume, network better, interview better -- as if the solution is within your control.
It's a deflection from the real problem: companies laid off in waves and aren't hiring back. Job postings are fake or impossibly specific. Budgets are frozen. Recruiters are overwhelmed. And hundreds of qualified people are competing for every real opening.
You're a perfect candidate on paper. You have the experience and the results to prove it. And you're getting nothing. That doesn't make sense because it is a problem of the market, not you.
You’re carrying the weight of something that isn’t yours to carry. There are massive systemic forces at work in this job market keeping you and many others unemployed. You didn’t create them. You can’t fix them. And you shouldn’t be ashamed if you are struggling against them.
You can’t control the market. But you can control how you move through it, and whether you’ll have anything left of yourself when you come out the other side.
I've been researching what actually helps people get through prolonged job searches, and everything points to one thing: resilience.
Not hustle, not optimism, not perfect applications. Resilience is your capacity to withstand stress and recover from setbacks without losing yourself in the process. Here's a sneak peek of what I’ve learned in my research:
Searching for a job is harder than having a job. With so many unknowns, so many pieces of the job search that are out of your control, you are expending more energy, and being drained far more quickly. You’ve probably felt this, but no one really talks about it!
To best support you during job search, you need three practices: physical exercise, rest, and social support. These three things are essential to manage the ups and downs. Make time for each at least once a week and I promise you, this will stave off or manage the anger, frustration and depression.
Divorce your identity from work. You have always been more than your job, and you are more than your joblessness. Throw yourself into a hobby, a side project, volunteering - something that can help you see yourself as more than a title. When work is just a piece of you, and not all of you, it becomes easier to persevere.
More to come on this. For now, I just need you to hear this again: It's not you.
The shame you're carrying about not being employed? It's not yours. The frustration that you don’t know what to fix to make it happen? Maybe there’s nothing to fix.
Take a walk, take a nap, accept that social invitation. Don’t try to power through; rebuild your power within.
Let this marinate. You don't need to do anything with it right now. Just try to let it go.
Best,
Nicole
I thought I’d add something new to the mix with a personal memo about how I’m thinking about the current job market. If you like this and want more content like this, let me know!
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