EDITORIAL: 11 Tips for Coming Back from Chaos – Moving Ahead with Your Job Search
By Frances Chaves and PSGCNJ’s Marketing Committee
These last few weeks have been chaotic and stressful for everyone in the tri-state area. But time hasn’t stood still for those of us “in transition” and we need to get back in the swing of the job search. Here are some tips for handling chaos and moving on:
1) Get support; confide in a friend. Coping with chaos can be depressing; don’t do it alone.
2) Find a job-search partner who can be your personal cheerleader; report daily on what you have accomplished; explain to your partner that their responses need to be positive ONLY.
3) Create a detailed daily list of things to do; cross items off as you accomplish them. Checking back on your list and seeing what you have accomplished can bolster your confidence. Items should be things like “make three calls to networking contacts;” NOT: “get a job.”
4) Get out of the house. Take your laptop to a library or coffee shop to avoid getting stuck in cleaning the house or the yard. Finding work is more important than having a perfect home or yard.
5) Determine a reasonable amount of time to devote daily to the job search, and then schedule something fun to do after you’ve put in your time. Or then do your cleaning!
6) Breathe.
7) When you sit down to work, start with a simple task, and then work up to the more complicated items on your list.
8) Get back to your exercise regime or if you don’t have one, start one.
9) Remember that many businesses are also experiencing chaos and that may result in lengthy response times. So don’t get discouraged if that genius letter doesn’t get an immediate answer.
10) Check out temporary job opportunities related to storm recovery (see the story in this blog!).
11) Read “Hurricane Sandy Jobs: The Super Storm May Have a Silver Lining for Midlife Job Seekers” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/hurricane-sandy-jobs_n_2057736.html).
Good luck! Remember, the first step is always the hardest.