We all have days where nothing seems to go right, but in job search, they can be particularly paralyzing. What should you do if you’re stuck in one of those days where no one is calling or emailing you back, you can’t fix an error you just discovered in your resume, the cat throws up on the rug and the people from the interview you had a week ago seem to have fallen off the planet?

 

My short answer is:  something else. Get away from your desk and even your phone and shake things up a bit. Get outside if it’s nice, call another job seeker and see if you can help him or her, bake something for a neighbor, take a walk, brush the dog, you get the idea. Don’t just sit there thinking that by sheer persistence you can make the phone ring.

 

As a career coach who has worked with thousands of people in transition over the past 18 years, I’m a big believer in breaks. And I’m not talking about booking a cruise–just an afternoon where you go to the movies or do something you can enjoy. How do these help? They refresh us, keep us going and help us gain a better perspective. So work hard on your search but don’t forget to take some time off, too.

That’s a long title, but the concept is important and I often ask my clients, “What have you been avoiding?” or “If you could only do one thing today to move your search forward, what would it be?” Having asked this I’ve learned that most of do what’s easiest, not necessarily the smartest thing to do in our job searches.A quick trick to get around this obstacle: write down that one thing that you must do as your number one agenda item for tomorrow. Place it on your calendar or notebook or whatever devise you use so that you can’t miss it when you sit down to work on your search. Resist the temptation to do something else. Don’t clean your desk or empty the refrigerator. Get that one thing done. Period.What  you may discover is that you feel really good for having pushed through your resistance and that you’re now ready to tackle some other challenges. This is a critical part of what I like to call “searching smart.”

I had lunch with a former client recently and as he and I compared notes on what had happened to us with our previous companies, it came to me that hard work, creativity, and making things happen can’t guarantee that our jobs are safe. In fact, as we talked about it, I almost felt as if the two things exist on separate, perhaps parallel universes.   We’ll call my former client Joe. He ended up in a senior role with a small company and had, in his words, “the time of his life.” The hours were long but he was building a department from the ground up and he loved his team and was so excited to see things take shape. His boss left and a new boss came in just a month shy of his performance review. That meeting should have been a tip-off–no matter what he said he couldn’t get the new boss to give him anything beyond “satisfactory.”   Things got worse, a lot worse, and as chance would have it, Joe learned about another position through his network. But because he was loyal and dedicated, he stuck it out a few more months until it finally hit him–no matter what he did, he was not going to be able to succeed. He accepted the new position and is now excited to be working where his talents are recognized (as they had been by his first boss.)   While my experience was different than Joe’s, I too had contributed in ways that were beyond my job requirements, but that didn’t keep me from losing my job. What he and I realized is that we’re proud to be strong contributors, we like making things happen, and that there are plenty of places where we’ll fit in just fine. So, besides a really good lunch, he and I confirmed who we are and what we care about. And we also know that we’ll help each other along the way. Not bad at all.

 

I was on the phone recently with another career counselor, and since he knows I’m in transition, he asked me how my stress levels are. We talked about that a bit and then he said that most people just exchange the stress of a job for the stress of job search and never give themselves that quiet time, do nothing time to really get in touch with their deepest self. He told me to “experience stillness” and that from that place something new will grow. Not easy to do but I think he’s right. He also said that in his practice most job seekers get addicted to crisis mode–you know, I’ve got to do this right now because… A lot to think about.

This reminded me of a former client of mine who couldn’t stop searching even after hours at his computer. We had talked about balance, we had discussed self-care and how important that was, but nothing helped. He was still driving himself and his family crazy so one day I told him that I had a present for him. His face lit up until he saw my gift:  a piece of paper with a large, black X on it. I said to him, “Starting at 5PM every day, I want you to tape this over your monitor. You are done your work for the day and must wait until the next day to go back online.” He agreed to try it, and although I think he had a few slips where he sneaked back to his desk after everyone was asleep, it helped him stop.

I can’t say if this is what helped him land a new job which he did, but I do think it helped him not run himself into the ground. Put in a good 20-30 hours of week of smart searching (that means don’t just answer internet ads but network, research companies, go to job search group meetings, etc.) and then enjoy your remaining time. Take a walk, read a good book, visit a neighbor, take a class–do things you enjoy. It might just help you land your next opportunity.

 

What happens to many people as they look for work? They become stuck, inefficient and discouraged. To become more productive and get to your next job, you’ve got to think differently, perhaps seeing yourself as a one-person business.  So now you’re CEO of You, Inc.  Here are some initial questions to consider:

Have you set goals that are realistic and that excite you?

Where have you had traction so far?

What is clearly not working?

Where do you need help?

The reason you want goals that engage you is that they will be easier to accomplish. As a career coach, when I work with someone who is having difficulty getting things done, I often find that they’re not really interested in the work they’re pursuing. And by realistic I mean that you have the resources (time, money, patience, education, and so on) to reach your goals.

Next, pay attention to what’s working and what isn’t. Are you getting calls from the postings you’ve answered? Are recruiters calling you? Or are you finding that doors are opening as a result of your connections or networking? Do more of what’s working and less of what isn’t. (I know this sounds simplistic but you’d be amazed at how many job seekers are addicted to techniques that aren’t working.)

And lastly, where could someone else help you? If you’re having difficulty finding quality information, you might need to sit down with your local reference librarian. Or if you aren’t reaching out to people, you could get help growing your networking skills. Perhaps your resume isn’t as strong as it could be—look for resources to help you make it more effective (free community-based groups or a career coach.)

Now let’s look at the trademarks of a search that’s run as if it’s your own company. Distinguishing factors would be:

 A daily or weekly schedule of at least 25 hours a week

Good organization—a spreadsheet for contacts as well as a system for tracking your major activities

A clear communication strategy that  includes who you are, what you’re good at, why you’re seeking a new opportunity and what sets you apart from others

An emphasis on networking as this is the best way to:

— tap into the unpublished job market

–get advice that will save you time and effort

–motivate others to help you

  Relentless follow up. (Because it is in the second, third or fourth time you connect with someone that you get the best help.)

To re-energize your job search, make sure you’re invested in your goals, pay attention to what’s working and what isn’t, and run your search as if it were your own company. And a last word of advice:  be as flexible as possible and try not to say “no” to ideas that sound dubious. Getting to that next opportunity is rarely a straight line and help comes from surprising places.