Searching for a job can be a tortuous path these days. A “Titulitis” society has been created in which it is difficult to stand out because everyone has training. Without standing out, it is difficult to get hired and gain experience, and without experience it is difficult to get hired.
During the search process we may feel that there is little to do and that we cannot control anything. Given this lack of control, we can feel many unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety, sadness, frustration, anger, guilt…
That’s why It is key to be able to manage our emotions during this path that can be difficult In this article we leave you 5 tips for emotional management in the job search, which is useful both for people who are unemployed and for Human Resources professionals and Personnel Selection agencies.
Emotional management is the ability to be aware, recognize, understand and regulate the emotions we feel. It is important to understand that it is not the ability to control them, but to regulate emotions from the knowledge and understanding of what each emotion wants to indicate to us. We cannot control what we feel.
Emotions are an automatic response of our body to events in the environment These responses occur after an instantaneous, and often unconscious, interpretation of what is happening around us. Each emotion, therefore, appears due to something specific that is happening, informs us about the event and prompts us to do or stop doing certain actions to respond to the situation.
For example, if we feel sad, it is because we have just lost something or someone important to us, or we consider them lost. Sadness makes us stop, and forces us to think about what just happened to learn from it. It is also a message for the people around us, who understand that if we are sad, we need support and time.
On the other hand, if we are angry, the emotion tells us that something or someone we love is in danger or is being harmed. This emotion drives us to be violent to frighten those who are endangering what we want, and to do harm if necessary. Others can get the message about not provoking someone who is angry.
Therefore, since emotions are automatic and physiological responses, they are natural and uncontrollable responses. However, We can manage them through techniques and skills to counteract the different physical manifestations that we feel according to the emotion (such as heat, heavy breathing, sweating…), whether through our attention, thoughts or actions. These skills are also applicable in emotional management in the job search.
5 tips for emotional management when searching for a job
Emotions can make the job search process difficult for us, especially if they are very intense. Some can paralyze or block us, or simply lead us down paths that are not solutions. Therefore, we leave you here 5 tips for emotional management when searching for a job.
1. Know your emotions and accept them
The first step is to stop before your emotion. Feel it and try to find out in which parts of the body you notice it (it can be in the chest, in the throat, on the face… it can manifest itself in several places at the same time). Label it with a name to make it easier for you to deal with it
And now find out what the emotion is telling you: is something bad happening? Or is everything okay and have you accomplished what you wanted? And what does it ask you to do? When you know how to answer these questions is when you will be able to regulate it.
And above all, remember that they are there for a reason. Your emotions are there to help you and give you information about what is happening to you, there is nothing wrong with them even though they can be unpleasant. Accept the emotion and do not fight it, because otherwise the emotion will only intensify and you will suffer more
2. Check if the emotion adapts to the situation
Sometimes our emotions don’t quite match the facts. This occurs because the emotion does not arise directly from what is happening, but from the interpretation that we ourselves make of the situation. It appears because it is trying to help you as you understand the situation, but it may not really fit the real situation.
This way, Maybe my emotion is too intense, or just plain wrong For example, even if something good is happening, if I interpret that it is not enough, my emotion will be unpleasant. Therefore, we must also analyze the situation and see if what the emotion asks me to do is the right thing to do to deal with it.
3. Act according to your emotions… or not, it depends on the case
If your emotion fits the situation, the most appropriate thing to do is to act according to what it asks of you. Focus on solving the situation if what the emotion tells you is that something bad has happened. To do this, you can make a list of possible solutions that are in your hand and choose the one that you see best. If, on the other hand, your emotions tell you that everything is fine, dedicate yourself to enjoying the situation.
If this is not the case and your emotion does not fit the facts, the emotion is not fulfilling its function of helping you in the situation. To regulate it and make it decrease, you can do what is called opposite action: after accepting the emotion, do the opposite of what it asks of you. By doing the opposite action, you will provoke the opposite emotion For example, if you are sad even though you did a good interview, instead of locking yourself in your house to ruminate, go out and celebrate.
4. Set realistic goals that depend on you
Until now we have explained emotional management techniques that you can apply in all aspects of your life. Now we are going to give you some advice that is especially suited to your job search situation.
In the job search process there are many factors that do not depend on you, but on being in the right place and time, on the companies, on the interviewer… This can be very frustrating, especially if we generate expectations that can be truncated by these factors. That is why it is very important that you set realistic objectives that depend on you and do not create unrealistic or overly optimistic expectations, or the opposite, that is, catastrophic.
To do this, make a list of everything you want to do to achieve your goals and classify these actions according to whether they depend on you or not. Focus on what you can do and set them as goals When you accomplish them, remember to celebrate and enjoy them. You have done what is in your power and you can feel proud of it.
5. Create your own routine and include wellness time
When you are not working, you may feel that your life is drifting, or that what you do is not enough and that you should have tried harder today instead of resting. This can happen because you don’t have a routine that sets your daily goals. If you don’t know what you can expect from the day or what you want to do each day, how are you going to feel satisfied at any time?
That’s why, Set yourself a routine that serves as daily goals You can design it at the beginning of the month, at the beginning of the week or every morning, always leaving a margin for it to be flexible and to include job interviews, training or whatever arises.
This routine includes moments of rest, and you can even think in advance what you are going to do during that time to enjoy and disconnect. Do enjoyable activities that you’ve liked for a long time, try some new ones, or hang out with friends and family. Having a good support network with whom you can vent can guarantee your well-being.
Just because you don’t currently have a job doesn’t mean you’re not working hard enough to find one, which is why you also deserve to rest and enjoy your free time. Prioritize your mental health and psychological well-being.
Do you want to train in Human Resources?
If you are interested in the field of Human Resources, the University Master’s Degree in Talent Selection and Management from the University of Malaga is for you. In it you will learn the theoretical and practical aspects of the dynamics of job search and personnel selection.
