You knew I was going to write about this, didn’t you? It’s inherent in most job searches: the time between sending out applications and getting a response, especially the one you want. And it can feel endless.
Some organizations send an auto-reply, letting you know your application has been received, and on very rare occasions I’ve received a “Thanks” email from a real live person. But there’s always the moment of Now what? after hitting “Send” or “Submit” on the application, knowing it could very well be weeks before I hear back, if I hear back at all.
There’s plenty to do while I wait, of course: researching and applying for other jobs, writing blog posts, doing freelance work, running, yoga, washing dishes. But some part of me is always waiting – not just for any job, but for the right job – to call me back and prove to me that the effort I spent crafting a cover letter and polishing my resume is worth it.
Waiting can be difficult at the best of times, even when you’re waiting for an outcome that’s likely to be good. With the job hunt, of course, there’s no way of knowing what will happen, or when. This additional lack of information (and control) can make the waiting even harder.
Job hunting often exposes deeper fears and frustrations about my life, and it’s especially true in this case. While I wait for my next job, it can feel like I’m waiting for my life to resume: to come out of that strange in-between limbo that sets in between jobs, especially as the pandemic drags on. It can feel like my worth is primarily tied up in the work someone will (eventually) pay me to do; more on that in a future post. It can feel like an exercise in futility, putting in energy and effort and creativity with no guaranteed return. And it can feel like this strange, in-between life will continue indefinitely.
As I keep sending out applications, I’m trying to acknowledge the waiting: it’s just part of the process, as in so many parts of life. I’m also trying to fill my days with things other than job hunting (morning runs, afternoon walks with friends, freelance gigs and enjoying the springtime are good for this). Some days the waiting is a steady background hum; other days it’s louder, more insistent. But I know I have to keep waiting, and working, until I find the next right thing.
How do you deal with job-hunt waiting, especially when it feels endless?
Hey wish you all the best for job hunting. Hope you make the most of your waiting time and embrace the waiting like how you have mentioned in your post.
I did all of my job hunting and its related work in the morning and then I left it alone for the rest of the day, unless I had an email to respond to. It was the fall of 2019 and the season offered a lot of distractions. I went for walks around the neighborhood, re-read the Harry Potter series, cooked my favorite comfort food, and filled up a few online shopping carts with pretty fall and holiday clothes & decor (that I could not buy because I had no paycheck!). I just kept surrounding myself with words and images and places that brought me comfort. I kind of created an alternative reality for myself. Still, killing all that time was exhausting, as was all the trying, all the effort to look and feel and seem ok, which I did maybe more for other people than for myself, so that they wouldn’t worry and I wouldn’t feel pathetic. It’s so good that you run and write and connect with your community. You are seriously doing as well as anybody in this situation could.
Thanks so much, Michelle. Hearing about your experience is so validating. And yes, trying to sink into what I love – but filling the days can be exhausting. As can trying to seem/be okay.