If you are a long-time job seeker, it has probably happened to you. Jeremy Johnson has a new guest blog post this week on what happens when you hit the job hunting “runner’s wall.”
Jeremy is a recruiter in Kansas City for EHD Technologies, a recruiting, staffing and managed services company serving the IT, Engineering and Automotive industries.
When You Hit the Job Hunting “Runner’s Wall”
If you’ve ever listened to or read about the subject of marathon running, you may have heard something about a runner’s wall. It’s that point somewhere along the 26-mile race where you feel like you have nothing left and everything in your body is screaming, “STOP!” Your legs and lungs – and brain — are in open rebellion and you just can’t go any further.
If you’re out of work, and your job hunt starts to drag on into weeks, then months, something very-much like the runner’s wall can happen. Maybe it should be called the job hunter’s wall. It doesn’t happen to everybody, but it does happen, and the longer your job search goes, the closer that wall gets. It’s that point where frustration and exhaustion set in to where you just want to cash it in and give up. Better to stay in bed or watch TV because, really, what’s the point of applying to more jobs or making more calls? They haven’t gotten you anywhere and you don’t know what else to do. You just can’t take one more rejection letter/email, one more application that goes unanswered, one more networking contact that doesn’t come through.
Do you know anyone that this has happened to? Do you, by chance, know them really well? If you do, don’t worry. I think this happens to more people than they’d care to admit. It’s happened to me, too. In 2003, my job was eliminated and I spent a really long time looking for other permanent work. And, I’m ashamed to say, there were a week- and month-long stretches where I didn’t really do anything. I was just beat up and at the end of my rope. But, I survived it and you will, too.
One good thing about the runner’s wall is that all distant runners know it’s out there. They understand it and know it’s probably going to happen. So, they’re prepared for it. Also, they know that they just have to push through it. They can get to the other side of it because they’ve done it – probably lots of times. But, in that moment when their mind and body are screaming for them to stop, they block it out, breathe, put one foot in front of the other, and press on. They know there’s light at the end of the tunnel, if they just focus on getting there and not on the pain.
This is a good example to keep in mind if you hit the wall in your job search. You can take some valuable lessons from those distance runners who hit the wall and make it through. So, here’s what to keep in mind if it happens to you.
1) Don’t be surprised by it — Know that the wall is out there and be prepared. It hits different people at different times, and some people not at all, but it is a very real thing, so don’t be shocked if it happens to you. Job-hunting, by its very nature, can be a frustrating process. And if that search goes on long enough, it’s easy to get discouraged. A runner knows that the wall is a physiological reality, and a job seeker should know that the wall is a psychological and emotional reality. So, if it does happen, instead of panicking, you can say to yourself, “Oh, there it is. That’s what the wall feels like. Now I just have to confront it.”
2) When it happens, take in the feelings and emotions as an event, not an outcome – Just like a marathoner knows that the wall is temporary if she just keeps going, the job seeker should do the same. A runner knows not to give up because the wall isn’t her body shutting down; it’s just sending back painful signals, and those signals don’t mean the end of the race and she can get past them. Though a frustrating job search may feel like an outcome, it’s not. It’s a series of individual events.
3) Make a conscious effort to press through it and focus on your goal – The most important a thing, first of all, is to keep consistently putting in job search-related activities every day. Don’t lose momentum. Make it a daily habit and focus on the activity, not the outcome. Second, stay laser-focused on your goal. This takes practice and effort; it’s not natural for most people and it won’t happen by default. It’s certainly not natural for me. Continually evaluate what you’re doing and whether you need to change your approach. Focus on asking yourself a lot of “what,” “who,” and “how” questions. “What else should I be doing that I haven’t done yet?” “Who else has some job search strategies I should copy?” “How could my current approach be better?” “What other resources haven’t I tapped into yet?” “Who else should I talk to?” Focus only on questions that force you to come up with a concrete answer. For example, never ask yourself, “Can I…” or “Should I….” Instead, ask yourself “HOW can I….” or “WHAT can I….” These type of questions may take conscious effort to ask consistently, but they will help you stay focused on your goal – getting a job.
There’s no question that job hunting can be painful. And it can be downright discouraging, depending on your experience with it. But, if you do hit the job hunter’s wall, don’t be surprised by it, know that it’s an event and not an outcome, and focus on pressing on through to the other side.