Talent Connection Episode 26: Escaping Job Search Fatigue

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The following is an approximate transcript.

HEATHER: Hello and thank you for joining Episode 26 of Talent Connection, a podcast about connecting job seekers and employers, produced by Cachinko. My name is Heather Huhman, and I am the founder & president of Come Recommended, as well as the Career & Recruiting Advisor for Cachinko. I’m joined by my co-host, Tony Morrison.

TONY: Thank you Heather. Good afternoon. My name is Tony Morrison and I am the vice president of Cachinko. We help job seekers find jobs matched to their specific skills and preferences, and we operate a job matching and career networking application on Facebook.

HEATHER: Today’s episode is “Escaping Job Search Fatigue.” This is actually something, Tony, you and I were talking about last week. So, let’s get started here. When do job seekers typically hit that “brick wall” in their job search?

TONY: Hitting a “brick wall” in a job search typically refers to rejection. More specifically, it is that point at which you believe you have tried everything to get a job but have been unsuccessful. It’s when you simply do not know what else you can do to find a job. When you have applied to many jobs unsuccessfully, the search for a job begins to seem futile and no longer makes sense to you. The normal stresses of life are amplified then, and you start to question yourself and your ability.

When this happens is relative to the individual. For a passive job seeker, one who is employed but still looking for their ideal job, they may never really feel “the wall.” It is just a simple frustration or discouragement to them. However, for the active job seeker who has been out of work, they may feel the full impact of the “brick wall” sooner and with much greater intensity. This is generally when the budget gets tighter, bills pile up, and every day they fill out more and more applications, but they still do not hear back from employers or recruiters.

HEATHER: So obviously you’ve alluded to the answer to this question a little bit, but why does this happen?

TONY: Job seekers existentially hit the wall when they are so busy DOING something that they forget to BE someone. They get caught up in doing the same job search activities over and over, but then get so discouraged because they get the same result every time. As days go by and the frustration level increases, their search might emphasize more online applications. They retreat from best practices in the job search to easier tasks and they focus less and less on interactions with their personal professional networks. In effect, they lose themselves while searching for a job and forget their values.

You can never forget who you are and what drives you. It’s not what you do that defines you, but why you do the things you do and how you do them.

This reminds me of another reason why job seekers might hit the wall. They are focused on finding a job in an industry that is collapsing due to the economy, or in a profession that has been downsized across different industries. In this case, job seekers may not be leveraging their transferrable skills. They hit the wall when they are rejected repeatedly simply because they are presenting skills for which there is no demand. Or, they are presenting them in an industry for which there is no demand.

Certainly, you have unique skills that are required for your profession, but you likely have many additional skills that are not unique to any one profession or industry. Leverage those transferrable skills to land your next job, and explore ways to adapt your unique experience to a new profession or industry.

HEATHER: In your opinion, how can this hurt the overall job search?

TONY: Annually, CareerXroads does a study called Source of Hire, and according to the CareerXroads 2011 Source of Hire study, approximately 65% of all job openings are filled through internal movement or referrals. If you are not active with your community and/or networking with your colleagues and friends, you could miss many job opportunities. It is important to maintain a positive presence in your personal and professional networks, and to be discoverable by recruiters, employers, and your network connections inside companies that interest you.

Being unemployed for an extended period of time and having to explain gaps in your resume is a major a problem too. You have probably heard stories, or read articles about a controversial hiring practice whereby some companies state in their job description that the unemployed need not apply. It seems ridiculous that a hiring manager or any company would allow that attitude or practice. Have they been hiding under a rock for the past 4 years, or so?  They must be aware of the state of the economy and the high unemployment rate. And, they must have witnessed the turnover and the layoffs in their own company. Still, it happens. The longer you are unemployed, the more likely those prospective employers will screen you out of the hiring process before you can even interview, simply because you have a gap in your resume.

It is important that you do not withdraw from your networks. Networking keeps you active and discoverable online. It keeps you close to potential references and referrers. And, when you remain active in your profession on forums and maybe attendance at conferences, you maintain a positive brand and attitude. You can keep a portfolio of your activities and participation in your professional societies. When you explain a gap in your resume, you can be direct with your interviewer. They know, or should know, that the market has been awful. You will be able to differentiate yourself by demonstrating you are up to date on news and trends and active in the market looking for the right opportunity to continue in your profession.

For many job seekers, their reality is that they have a specialized skill that is no longer in demand, and the total number of jobs is far fewer than there are workers now. The competition for these types of jobs is great. Simply going through the motions and circulating among the unemployed in this profession will get you treated like damaged goods by various employers. This can quickly result in job search fatigue. Instead of giving in and just giving the minimum effort, adapt and differentiate. Develop your transferrable skills and leverage them for a different industry, or profession.

HEATHER: What can a job seeker do to cure job search fatigue?

TONY: Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

So, do something different before you go insane!  Get out of a rut. We have spoken about this in previous podcasts. Change your daily routine. Take a break and blow off some steam.

The same things that stress you out during a job search will exhaust you mentally and physically, and they can eventually erode your confidence. Step away from your job search periodically to recharge your mind and body. Work out, go for a walk or a bike ride, play your favorite sport, or take up a new hobby. You’d be surprised at how much more productive and creative you can be with a clear mind.

Get organized. Schedule your day so that you can tackle the things that you absolutely must do each day to keep up with your job search. Make a point to phone 10 friends or colleagues and E-mail 10 more. Since they are acquaintances, the phone call should be easier than cold calling a company. These calls keep you in contact with your network and warm you up for targeted recruiter, HR, and hiring manager calls later on in the day. Review the forums related to your profession. You should scan the latest news from your target industry and companies in which you are interested. You can do this easily using Google Reader. Monitor your social media channels as well for topics of interest and for any of your target contacts posts to which you could respond and spark a conversation. Search for new job openings on target company websites, and the social media on which you are following various companies. Select 5 good job prospects a day and cold call those companies. If during your research, you find a particular company that sparks your interest, but they do not have a job opening advertised, call them anyway. Focus on those companies that interest you and don’t hesitate to contact them.

Keep your social media profiles up to date and optimized for search as well. On each relevant site, commit to making one post or comment each day to keep your picture, profile, and voice on people’s minds. Do not network chaotically; remember that you are networking with a purpose. Resist the temptation to waste your day on a social media platform chatting or stalking friends. If around 65% of all job openings are filled through referrals, then these friends could be your link to your ideal job, and they will definitely be the best way to hear about hidden jobs.

Stay on top of your financial situation, cut expenses wherever you can and maintain a tight budget. Financial stress is a major factor in job seekers hitting a brick wall. It is important to stay in control.

With less stress, you will also have a better, positive attitude and self-confidence to engage recruiters and hiring managers in discussions. By staying organized, fit, prepared, and by setting proper expectations for your job search, you should be able to avoid job search fatigue.

HEATHER: Excellent. Thanks so much, Tony. That’s all the time we have for today. You’ve been listening to Talent Connection, a podcast about connecting job seekers and employers, produced by Cachinko. For details about the next episode, please visit blog.cachinko.com.