The Most Important Aspect of The Job Hunt

I have been in the job market for 10 years; I was fortunate enough to get my first job during the last recession and I was able to stay in that career until January 2020.

I had realised I while before that because my previous job had been earned so young and I felt a lot of comfort and security in it, I decided to stay. Eventually I started to wonder what else was out there, I started to research different industries, different markets, network with people outside of my LinkedIn circle and I found User Experience Design.

I spent a few years gathering my skills, I attended a bootcamp and started to read as much as possible. I also developed my own projects on the side and truly thought that I had positioned myself perfectly, balancing my business skills, my technical design skills, and how well I naturally empathise with people. I was set.

Of course, you may have noticed that January 2020 was just before the world began it’s downward spiral into chaos and uncertainty. My initial plan was to take 6–8 months to travel the world, participate in the all too cliché Bali yoga retreat where I get to eat açai bowls and post Instagram shots about how ‘life changing this place is’. It would have been gross.

Instead, with travel essentially out of the question and my fear that I had voluntarily given up one of the few stable jobs when the world goes up in flames (in fact sometimes it prospers at that time — which is as whole separate issue), I started to put my job hunt into focus.

My situation is a bit unique (i.e. super f***ing complicated) and I moved to France after living in London in order to turn my long-distance relationship into a full-on confinement relationship (we survived). I don’t speak French yet, so I am looking for a remote UX opportunity. And it is exhausting. Let alone constantly refreshing remote job boards, scouring the internet, sending random emails to companies I admire so they can consider a remote employee, the mental stress of wondering when this will start to turn around has me completely deflated some days. I am constantly thinking of ways to improve my portfolio, re-work my CV, and reposition my strengths on my cover letter. I’ve thought about trying to enter UX different ways, at times I even think about going back to my old job where none of this stress would even exist, just a bunch of other kinds of stress.

So, now that you know everything about my ‘job hunt during Covid’ story, I’m here to tell you what the most important aspect has been for me.

Take a break.

My worst days are when I’ve been full on 100% of the time, waking up early, going to bed late, starring at job boards and working through case studies non-stop. When I feel that I’m just about to give up, I turn off my computer, take a few deep breaths, and allow myself to just not think about it for a while. Of course, the stress creeps in and out but I quietly acknowledge it, and then just set it to the side for a little while, sometimes the rest of the day. It even helps to visualise a box full of your to-do lists, the emails you need to respond to, your portfolio, etc. and imagine putting it into a box and just sliding it under your desk for a moment.

So, now the fun part of the article, here are some tips on how to take a break and get a clear mind, so that you can put your best foot forward with your next job application.

1. Read that book
2. Listen to a podcast (I frequently listen to Call Your Girlfriend, Monocle, Deliciously Ella, 99% Invisible, The Kinfolk Long Listen, Stuff Mom Never Told You)
3. Cook something intricate (some inspiration here and here)
4. Plant some herbs
5. Take a bath
6. Go for a run or walk
7. Bike to the park
8. Go for a pint with friends
9. Go for a pint alone, or with suggestion #1 or #2
10. Go to your favourite restaurant (hit me up for recommendations in Toronto, NYC, London, and Buenos Aires)
11. Build your tent in your apartment and hang out with your partner (I did this, and it was amazing, for a pro move add a bottle of wine)
12. Go for a hike
13. Do some yoga (I use the downdog app)
14. Craft something (I like to make candles once in a while, check out skillshare for some inspiration)
15. Knit
16. Play a boardgame (I’ve been obsessed with Queen Domino)
17. Have breakfast for dinner
18. Order in your favourite pizza, and watch a movie
19. Take a nap
20. Have a personal spa day and use those samples you’ve been saving (I also make a DIY hair mask using aloe vera, honey and coconut oil and leave it in for 30 minutes)
21. Fix something around the house that you’ve been meaning to fix (like that door that doesn’t shut)
22. Visit your grandparents (safely)
23. Call a friend to catch up
24. Rearrange your furniture, I did this a few weeks ago and completely opened up my flat which has surprisingly brightened my mood
25. Organise your photos (this might just be me though)
26. Go to the market, buy something you’ve never cooked before, and figure it out
27. Go to the market and stare at things (this might be a me in France thing)
28. Start planning your post-Covid adventures, where do you want to go, what do you want to do, who will you reunite with?
29. If you’re like me, and you have a bunch of newsletters with notes all over them to ‘read later’… now is later
30. Create a morning and night routine, I write mine down and try to follow them each day
31. Buy a new plant or check online if anyone is giving away some of their over-growing plants (we’ve swapped a bunch of propagated cuttings with people on Facebook)
32. Clean your apartment, when you’re constantly on the hunt sometimes clothes gets tossed on that chair in your room, dishes stack up, the fridge has some containers you’re afraid to open, it’s normal but it adds mental clutter
33. Get ahead of your Christmas gifts, we’re unemployed so the earlier you plan ahead, the less likely you are to give a voucher that says ‘Free hug’ or ‘I cook, you buy’
34. Sign up for an online class, I’ve seen cooking classes, sewing classes, language classes — the future is here, interact with others while also being able to mute them :)
35. Make a puzzle
36. Write a letter, when I travel I usually collect a bunch of postcards and send them later on (this is not only procrastination, it’s also cute.)
37. Consider a social media break
38. Watch an interesting documentary
39. Cook something from one of your cookbooks
40. Go on a date with your partner
41. Clean your night table — life changing

Feel free to give some more recommendations below in the comment below! Good luck with the hunt.