“How come you haven’t written a blog post lately?”
“What books are you reading?
“Where ya been?”
I’m getting these questions a lot lately, so I thought it was time for an update. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written anything new here. But I can’t say there hasn’t been anything to write about. If you follow me on Facebook, you already know my husband and I found ourselves unemployed this summer. This has put our household into what can only be described as Life Without A Manual on steroids.
Every day, we are updating and sending out resumes, writing cover letters, networking with others, and managing our stress levels. Our daily lives of running errands, checking in with our children, keeping up with the dishes and laundry, and helping our parents has stayed the same. This new normal has brought on a whole new level of busyness to our days, and sadly for me, writing blog posts had to take a backseat. But, now that we are settling into a routine, I’ll post more often. (Stay tuned for the 31 day Ultimate Blog Challenge starting October 1st).
While there are tons of webinars, books, and articles to read about how to conduct a job search, it’s the emotional toll that no one manual can cover. Luckily, I have my therapist on speed dial these days to help me navigate the anxiety and uncertainty. What I know for sure is that this situation is a blip. We are going to be fine, and I am confident we will find new positions soon.
For now, we wake up at 6 am (ok, sometimes 7 am), have breakfast, walk the dog, make our to-do lists, settle into our home offices, drink lots of coffee, and look for new jobs. We talk about the opportunities that come our way and whether they are a good fit. We encourage each other to do our best, celebrate successes, and lift each other up when things don’t go as we had hoped. Sundays are extra special around here because we file our weekly unemployment claims together over a glass of white wine. It’s our new date night.
Romantic, right?! 🙂
And throughout all of this, we are incredibly grateful for so many things, and I want to make mention of them here.
Friends and Family
From our parents, siblings, and kids to our aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, everyone has been so supportive. Whether it is introducing us to someone who might be able to help, offering to look at our resumes, reminding us that we are both marketable and worthy, treating us to an Eagles game, or just checking in, we are lucky to have each and every one of them in our lives.
One day, I called one of my closest friends and asked her to do me big a favor. I was feeling all the love and support coming at me, but I needed something different. Every day I wasn’t working blurred together into the next. I was feeling what Pink Floyd would refer to as comfortably numb. I was unfocused, unproductive, and exhausted which is the complete opposite of who I am under normal circumstances. So, I asked her to give me a pep talk to snap me out of it and get my ass in gear. She happily obliged.
It takes a village to get through these tough times. I am forever grateful for our village.
Networking
The last time I looked for a job, LinkedIn was a huge help. Now, it is our new best friend and sometimes a third wheel at the dinner table. What surprises me most about LinkedIn is how generous people are on the platform. Several former colleagues have written thoughtful recommendations on my page about projects we worked on together. Another friend who is a photographer is taking a new headshot of me for my profile this weekend. I have also reconnected with people who I have admired from a distance who met me for coffee and shared sound advice and plenty of ideas to consider. My husband has felt the same support over LinkedIn, and we both see it as an essential tool to our search.
The funny thing about my LinkedIn network is that about a quarter of my contacts are people I have only met a handful of times in person. There is one woman who sends me job postings on a regular basis. Today, I had lunch with someone I met years ago at seminar where I was a speaker. I’ve also been introduced to people who don’t know me at all, but we were connected by a mutual friend. What a leap of faith to be willing to spend time with someone you’ve never even met before! I’ve had wonderful conversations with those people and hope they continue to happen.
During one of our walks, my husband and I thought back to what job searches looked like when we first started out. Remember when we used to print out and mail resumes and cover letters to potential employers? Who else here looked for a job in the Sunday classified ads section of the newspaper? It’s a whole different world now and for those who don’t think LinkedIn is for them, I encourage you to take a second look. If you are in the middle of a job search, the LinkedIn Premium level is worth the extra money. If not, stick with the free version, post often, and stay in touch with people. You never know how you can be of assistance to others or when you will need help in your own career.
The Little Things
There have been some silver linings over the last few weeks. We vacationed in Bar Harbor, ME and explored Acadia National Park without being tied to our laptops or worried about deadlines. And there was no vacation hangover to deal with while sorting through tons of emails and playing catch up when we returned.
Also, my reading life has never been better. I finished six titles in August and one so far in September. But that’s a topic for a different blog post.
Maybe the nicest part is being able to take time for some self-care and allow myself to recharge, regroup, and figure out what’s next and what’s best for me. I know I want to do something creative and meaningful in my career. I prefer working in a hybrid situation, but can work on-site or remote. Traveling for work is something I miss and can do more of now that we are empty nesters. I know my dream job is still out there somewhere. I just need to be patient.
And finally, I have time for what I love to do most—writing and blogging. Hopefully, you will keep reading and commenting. Deal? 🙂
XO,
Elisa