Addicted to job hunting?

Anyone else get into a rabbit hole of easy-in applying? I've had times in my career when I'm looking for a new role, and I can spend hours on end seeking and applying for jobs. It's like scrolling but worse.

Each job I see (where I even have a small chance of getting a look in for) can spin me into countless wasted minutes dreaming of the short commute, the free time, the pay packet, the learnings, the career trajectory, the status etc. etc. It's no wonder it's addictive! Especially when nowadays all you need to do is click one button and your application shoots off.

However this whole exercise fosters anxiety in me (and not to mention insomnia). It's hard to tread the line between not getting too invested to safeguard against disappointment and caring about the potential new role, enough to tailor your CV for example, or even write a cover letter for the brave companies out there requesting one. The emotional regulation needed is exhausting!

How do you curb this enthusiasm?

Limit time spent

I find the best approach is to limit the window I'm spending applying. If you are keen to find a new role, maybe a 2 hour binge once a week could work.

Be clear on what you'll accept

Secondly, think really carefully about what you are looking for. Is it the salary that you really want? The nature of the role? The industry? The problem (and blessing) with HR, as well as many other industries, is there are so many types of positions you can do and working out what's right for your next career chapter can be tricky.

I find that on a couple of occasions in my career, I've got it wrong. Once I went for salary and found myself way out of my depth (that whole debacle knocked my confidence for ages!) Another time I went for a role purely because I could walk to work (but working underneath someone less experienced than me proved unbearable). Working out your lower limits of what you'd genuinely find fulfilling is key to avoiding these mistakes.

It kind of reminds me of wedding dress shopping. I was hoping to try one on and burst into tears flinging my Google pay at the shop assistant. But in fact it's far less romantic. It's not always about finding something that feels amazingly perfect, rather it's finding something that genuinely suits your needs.

Have some perspective

The final tip I have for job hunting in today's world, is to remember, there are always more fish in the sea. It can feel like that one job you applied for would be your ticket to happiness, to unlock the door to career fulfilment and in turn blissful freedom. But chances are, next Sunday you'll see a few more pretty similar roles out there.

Hold your nerve, know your worth and keep those expectations in check. Whichever chapter you begin, you will make it work and the journey will be exactly what was meant for you.

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