Soon we’ll have another post that digs into the functional aspects of Pilates, but for now, other thoughts have been looming in the forefront: how to survive the job search.
Pulling against the ropes of the future with no give in sight...
The tricky thing about figuring out the next immediate step for your future (aka the first job) is getting to that job. How do you navigate the (sometimes long & arduous) process of encountering & moving into that new position?
Really, just thinking about searching for a full-time job can be depressing. Paying bills, maintaining your sanity, & paying off loans, etc. looms in the shadow of job search ponderings.
"...I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day." (And another day to avoid reality)
To deal with such pressing concerns, do you pull a Scarlett O’Hara & block out all thoughts about reality? Or do you move into those thoughts & frame your job search around how you’re going to survive for the next few months, the next few years?
More than anything, how do you deal with the process of searching for a full-time job without curling up into a fetal position in your closet? (Okay, maybe that’s just me).
Thus far I’ve found numerous books and articles about how to conduct your job search. Most of them have been great resources & reminders of how to manage your time, where to look, how to apply, how to interview, etc.
Awhile back I discovered that the trouble for me was not that I didn’t know how to do the job search, but rather how to stay sane throughout it.
Let’s face it – dealing with yet another rejection letter is lousy. You experience one of those hard to pinpoint, yet poignantly felt emotions that go hand-in-hand with rejection – dejection.
Put simply, it sucks.
Actually, it was after another round of “We’re sorry but….” letters & emails that I made the decision that my current mindset was just not working.
I was sick of bemoaning my future could-have-been. I was tired of spending time, tears & frustration over possibilities that never transpired. My head & my heart couldn’t deal with the search in this fashion anymore.
Really, I needed positive frames to refer to when rejection kept slapping me in the face.
I needed mantras & logical reminders of how to keep my thoughts on the right track & to not give up.
Before sharing those, though, I’m curious – what are your mantras that you turn to when you just want cry? When it seems like giving up would be the best way to go?
I remember the strong women from our family that are no longer here with us. Those ladies were made of steel and they knew that tough times created tougher ladies. They taught me that the right time will come and learning patience is not fun. Their beauty may not have been on the outside but they were gorgeous women from the inside.
Mom, I’m glad you brought that up! That’s one of the soon-to-be-posted mantras, too! It helps to remember those who’ve been “there” before, if not “here.” If others have made it through trials & frustrations, how could I possibly fail? Really, it seems a bit silly to think that we can’t handle the trials we’re facing now when so many others throughout human &/ family history have faced some epic challenges & triumphed.