Being between jobs is a circumstance.
It is not a measure of your value.
We talk a lot about finding a new job. We don’t talk nearly enough about what being without one can do to a person.
I have been laid off more than once, and each time was emotionally difficult. It wasn’t just the loss of a paycheck. It affected my confidence, my routine, my social life — and, if I’m being honest, my sense of identity.
Looking for work can become a full-time job of its own. You spend hours searching, applying, networking, preparing and interviewing. You see a position and think, “I know I could do that job.” You apply — and hear nothing.
Or you have an interview that feels genuinely wonderful. The conversation flows. You can envision yourself on the team. Then you are ghosted, or receive a brief “no thank you” with no explanation.
Even when you know intellectually that hiring decisions are complicated, it is hard not to take that silence personally.
My advice to anyone in transition: give your job search structure, but don’t allow it to consume every hour of your day. Stay connected to people who remind you who you are beyond your résumé. Get outside. Move your body. Do something each day that gives you a sense of accomplishment — even if it has nothing to do with finding a job.
And to employers: please remember that there is a person on the other side of every application and interview. A thoughtful response takes only a few minutes, but it can make an enormous difference.
Being between jobs is a circumstance. It is not a measure of your value, your talent or what you still have to offer.
If you are in this place right now, please know you are not alone.
– Gretchen O’Brien
Senior Vice President, Executive Search
gobrien@kingbishop.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.