Processing the Emotions of a Career Change in 2023
At some point in many individual’s career, a job change is considered for professional and personal reasons. While it can be a time of excitement with hopes of new possibilities, it can also be a period of great uncertainty and anxiety for someone who never intended to leave their current role, but for one reason or another find themselves in a position to go through the job search process. Not only will you feel the full range of emotions during the search, but you may experience some highs and lows.
During the process, you might be ecstatic to learn that you are a top candidate for a desired position, only to be disappointed that the job was offered to someone else. Or perhaps you felt the interview did not go as planned and was unhappy about your performance, but later relieved to learn you still made it to the next round of interviews.
Finding the next best opportunity comes with many hurdles, not to mention the emotional impact you go through while navigating the uncertainty of where things might lead during the job search period. Here are a few ways to process the emotions that come with seeking the next opportunity.
1. Process your Emotions: Engaging in positive activities that will help process negative emotions will aid you in a better headspace. Activities such as meditation, exercising, surrounding yourself with your support system, or journaling can help you feel your emotions fully. In contrast to avoiding, suppressing, or pondering over your emotions while waiting to hear back with next steps. It is the ability to experience our emotions, without judging them or trying to change them, that allows us to move through them quickly and effectively.
2. Finding Professional Support: Having someone to talk through your job search can provide additional support outside of the support you receive from your loved ones. A professional such as a therapist, career coach, or recruiter can give you sound advice on navigating the job process. They will be able to act as a sounding board to help guide you in the right direction when you are feeling uncertain of yourself. By creating a sense of professional partnership this will assist with advancing your search on job alignment.
3. Positive Perspective: It is easy to feel discouraged or inadequate when things are not moving in the right direction or a position you are excited about is at a stand- still. While there is urgency is to touch base on the progress of the hiring process, the best solution may be taking a step back to think about other existing priorities. Knowing there are things not completely in your control, and continuing to have positive thoughts could be just the reassurance you need to change your perspective and mindset from going to negative thoughts. By envisioning things from a positive perspective, can allow you to move forward more productively, and ultimately land another opportunity..
Blog written by Professional Project Partners Technical Recruiter Sabina Lovan.