There’s no app for that
If you are like me and have what is called "a bias to action," you get things done. So many moms I know have this, mostly because they have no choice. Their child needs something and needs it now so they're on it. The daycare has a strict no later than 5:30 pick-up rule so they are out the door and on the way. And we're lucky to live in an age when the idea that "there's an app for that" is almost always true.
But the flipside to this is patience. Or, more accurately, the lack of it. I live on a busy street in Portland's downtown, and my condo overlooks what lately has become a line of traffic because of a major construction project. Almost weekly I witness some type of accident as someone, understandably frustrated with the delays, becomes impatient and moves too quickly through the intersection. It's a metaphor for our lives these days: we generally have little patience with our neighbors, our workplaces, ourselves.
If your year is ending in a job search, I'm suggesting you add patience to the list of things you'll need. Here's why:
1. There's plenty of tech that helps us in the job search, but there's no app for the hard work that the job search is. Just because the application process may mean a quick upload of some documents, the true process involves so much more. Many times, there are various company-specific applications you need to fill out. It's maddening to re-submit your resume's material in a different form each time, but that's often the reality. Because so many companies use applicant tracking software, taking time to tweak each resume for each job is a patience-requiring part of the job search.
2. It's hard to wait for a response once you have applied. As automated and speed-conscious as our world is, you are still dealing with human beings who review applications. Their kids get sick, too, and they miss work so things get behind. There's often a chain of command involved in hiring. Sometimes things drag out because one person has been slow. This is not to excuse ghosting, incompetent hiring, bait and switch — subjects for another blog post — but it is a reminder about the humans behind all the tech that we use.
3. Extend patience to yourself. By far, the most common act of impatience I see with clients is impatience with themselves: "why didn't I..." or "I shouldn't have..." are both statements I hear. You are certainly entitled to feel frustration with anything you do, but beating ourselves up doesn't serve any useful purpose. I refer to this often, but it bears repeating: we all have saboteurs and we sometimes get in on our own way.
4. And when you land the job and start the new adventure, have patience in the transition. If you've been in the job search for a while, starting a new gig will feel good. Finally settled! And then it won't feel so settled as you are the new person and everywhere you turn there are things to learn. Reminding yourself that you are in the transition period will help you stay patient and kind with yourself.
