Well, it is this time of the year again. Leaves are falling. The mood is turning gloomy. The wind is picking up. You are feeling chilly. It is time to apply for jobs. Oh and yea, it is autumn, too.
While reflecting on my feelings about this particular time in my live, I came across the house of change. The house of change is a concept introduced by Claes Janssen used to describe any change process. I noticed that it could very well be applied to anticipate, describe, and explain the feelings every job hunter is going through.
Let’s visit the house of change together. You will realize that the roller-coaster of feelings you may encounter are normal and that you are not alone.
Room of contentment
If you are reading this, chances are you have already left the room of contentment, or you are about to leave it.
But you know the feeling in this room: life is good. You have a great job, you know what you are doing, and you have nice colleagues. Or you concentrate on your education or on whatever you are doing without worrying about the future too much. Being energetic and creative often comes with being in this place.
Room of denial
The room of denial is the place for lots of the negative emotions connected to job hunting. Possibly, you are shocked by the news that you will lose your current job. Maybe, you are disappointed about the fact that you have to apply again when you were hoping to be permed. Or you are shocked by how many sorry letters you get.
Whatever your situation is, it is ok to feel a little bit unhappy here. But do not let well-meant advice aggravate you.
Cellar of despair
Negative feelings are normal in the room of denial. But take care not to get lost in the cellar of despair. Hiding in the cellar of despair and giving up is not an option. You need to keep going even if it seems hard. It will get better eventually.
What can you do to stay out of the cellar of despair? Take care of yourself: eat well and exercise, get some self-worth from non- work related activities. From time to time: vent to someone in a similar situation.
Room of confusion
The room of confusion does not sound like a very inviting place. After all, who wants to be confused? We want to have it figured out already. But the room of confusion is a good room.
In this room, you explore your options. You might reconsider you path and go into new directions. You look what is out there. What jobs would be good for you. Which companies are out there? What institutes are interesting?
Being in the room of confusion for a while is all right. There is a lot to learn and maybe several experiments to make. Whatever you research and do is good. As long as you take some kind of action your will go on.
Room of renewal
The room of renewal is a great room. However, the only way you reach this room is through the room of denial and the room of confusion. Going straight from the room of contentment to the room of renewal is impossible unfortunately.
In this room, you can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. By now you know where to apply now. You have a plan. You can see things moving forward. And you might even be called to an interview already.
Even if you recently started a new job, you might still be in the room of renewal. During the first weeks and months of a new assignment, you will have to find your way around first. Maybe you have to learn new processes or new skills. In the room of renewal, you are positively busy. It is only a matter of time until you end up in the room of contentment again. Good look.