You may think that you should be relaxing and not worrying about your job search at a time when Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. It’s not that you are lazy and think you should take some time off but knowing how to use the down time associated with the holidays is a smart strategy if you need to gear up your career search. Maybe you’ve been putting off that resume rewrite. Maybe you are just not feeling like networking and applying for those jobs you are hearing about. It’s okay to take a break, but knowing how to be productive when you are coasting is smart for you and for your career.
When you think you just don’t have another job interview in you, follow these useful tips to harvest not only what’s on the dinner table but also what you put into your job search:
- Breathe and Focus: As much as you believe pulling your resume together is important, knowing what you want in the first place is the key to starting a successful job search. The good news here is it takes little manual effort to achieve this goal. Taking time to relax, meditate, focus and listen are the steps you need to take in order to kick your job search into high gear. Having some much needed alone time even if you have to schedule it will help you to unwind and really listen to what is making you happy or unhappy with your current job search. Paying attention to your instincts about the direction you need to take even if that means you are feeling you need to go back to school or get some additional training are all invaluable pieces of information that will help you move ahead. Taking time for yourself now before the holidays hit will help you stay grounded and feel like you are accomplishing a great deal towards your future career goals.
- Fantasy Game: Playing a little mental game with yourself and visioning your ideal career environment takes no time and is a fantasy game that will help you materialize and harness what is truly missing from your career now. Picturing your career the way you always wanted from what you are doing, to whom you are doing it with, to where you are working and what your office or life looks like will help you visually put the pieces of your career together for you in a fun and imaginative way. Playing the fantasy game will help you not only feel what you want but will actually deliver it in buckets just the way you want as long as you keep your focus.
- Talk To Yourself: Some people may think you are losing your mind but mentally interviewing yourself and asking a series of questions about what you want from your life, your career and your work are important steps to putting the pieces together of how you need to move forward with your job search when the time is right. Asking yourself, “What do you like about what you are doing now?” to “What would you like to change in your current work situation?” will lead you to answers that will help you move your career in the right direction. Listening carefully to the feelings and responses that bubble up will help motivate you towards seeking a career that’s right for you even if you are a little surprised by the answers you hear!
Using the down time as you gear up for the holiday season is a good way to stay focused, figure out what you want and start to plan for your future without stressing yourself out and making you feel inadequate if you have not sent out multiple resumes. Harvest your alone time to your advantage and watch the fruits of your labor unfold to the career you’ve always dreamed of.
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