There are a lot of factors in play when you’re looking for work. These can be emotional, financial, practical, political, or even psychological.
If you’re unemployed, power shifts to finding something sooner rather than later so your needs are met. If you have a job, however, the process is—or should be—slightly different.
Don’t let a bad day or hectic week lead you down a long path of angry applications.
Angry applications are the late-night shopping binge of adult life. Things at the office are stressful, co-workers feel toxic, and you spend your work daydreaming about what could be. So you think, ‘What the heck, why not, let’s find something better’ and start applying to anything and everything in an "Add To Cart" frenzy.
Instead of flooding recruiters and job boards with your resume, STOP, take a minute to step back and think.
There's Power In The Pause
The American Psychological Association reminds us, "It’s hard to make smart choices when you’re in the grips of a powerful negative emotion. Rather than trying to talk yourself down from a cliff, avoid climbing it in the first place. Try to identify warning signs that you’re starting to get annoyed. When you recognize the signs, step away from the situation or try relaxation techniques to prevent your irritation from escalating.”
Some people use angry applications as a coping mechanism for regaining control. Submitting application after application feels like you are taking steps forward to change the status quo, but unfortunately, that isn't often the case. These applications are very rarely well thought through, are often a repeat of your current environment (and are sometimes worse!), lead to roles that don't align with your long-term goals, and take up a large amount of time.
And to top it all off, these actions often cause more harm than good.
Not only does it ramp up your negativity, but how will your ego feel if no one replies, or you’re rejected altogether? This is where pausing for a predetermined amount of time - I recommend clients take an entire week - makes a huge difference.
What Else Can I Do?
If you’re angry about something at work, or something in your life, the APA suggests reframing your thinking. This can be done using logic or you can get a little creative with your approach! Do something outside of your normal routine - read a book, try a new recipe, or learn a new instrument! Want more ideas? Check out this blog!
Our jobs do more than put food on the table and a roof over our heads. Ideally, they showcase our strengths, challenge our creativity, and become part of our identity. The right job empowers us!
Sure, there will be bad days, even bad weeks. But what relationship is perfect? If I’ve learned anything after the last few years it’s that we can plan for the future, not predict it.
Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, inside your current company and within the industry as a whole. But don’t jump ship after a bad day, angry applications just aren’t the answer. And if you need help, ask a career coach - we would love to help you!
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