Job search worries

[url=https://www.ibm.com]IBM[/url]

<a href="https://www.ibm.com">IBM</a>

@purplesloth I get it. One that has helped me a lot is to accept that you're going to have to go through a lot of places and interviews before you find the right fit. And that's okay. You can use your experiences as practice if you still don't feel confident.

And don't forget: YOU are also interviewing THEM. Fit is important. If you're not happy, it will show. I understand you may need to work and need the money but it is also important that you have a say, too.

And if it's a bad interview, it's a bad interview. It's okay if it's bad and you don't get the job. There will be other jobs for you.

I've had my share of interviews both decent and crappy, so I understand the nervousness. But I agree that you should consider them as experience along your quest, and not obsess with getting offers. One interview always naturally prepares you more for the next. Eventually, my interviews (and only the memorable ones) actually have become little anecdotes I can share with friends, and I even laugh at myself.

It may help to remember that you have nothing to lose. If no offer comes from an interview, it's not as if something has been take away from you. You're walking out of there just as you walked in. That's fine. For many of us, it takes time.

And don't forget that these interviewers are regular humans, not supreme beings. Don't be intimidated by any idea of power dynamic (again, they can't take something from you). You should be polite and respectful and informed, but in your head you can assess them too - so I agree with the point above about fit.

@purplesloth

Congratulations on making the decision to look for employment after a two year break. That's a major life change and would be difficult for anyone, including those who don't cope with any anxiety.

It sounds like you've been putting a fair amount of emotional and intellectual energy into your job search. You're taking this seriously and spending a great deal of time doing things that scare you. The actions you've been making over the past three weeks have required a good deal of bravery and motivation - so Kudos! Employers will be lucky to hire a person with that kind of commitment.

You've been doing some journaling, which has been helping, but you're still experiencing headaches, overthinking, undersleeping, and undereating. That's a lot, and it's no wonder you're feeling exhausted. When it becomes difficult to take care of ourselves, things can kind of snowball and make our symptoms even worse.

You may want to consider slowing down a little bit, and coming up with a plan for taking good care of yourself while you do this scary thing.

Some questions come to mind:

1. What ideas do you have about tending to your mental and physical health?

2. Are you farmilar with the coping skills, and mental health tools that can be found in the forums here? Perhaps someone could link to them?

3. Is there anything you might do before and after these interviews to help with your confidence? Like taking an inventory of your strengths, debriefing with someone close to you - or a listener here.

4. Are there any items you find comforting, that you could bring along to your interviews and hide in your pocket? Like a smooth stone to touch, or a felt pad with your favourite essential oils.

You may also need to approach this from multiple angles, as this probably isn't an easy fix solution.

It sounds like you really care, and that's an awesome quality to have. Wishing you luck with everything :)

@purplesloth

hey!! I totally relate to your situation. I recently got married and am looking for various job options. It does get difficult keeping your head up at the end of the day knowing that u haven't been able to do your best. But here's what I think: every day it's just a new challenge, and to keep up and put in your sincere efforts, is in itself a great job accomplished :)