Hi there Informational Interviewers,

A belated Happy Fourth of July to you! I celebrated the Fourth in true American fashion: I worked. Is that healthy? Should we abolish capitalism? Valid questions all, but true to the ethos of this newsletter, I am a realist and an incrementalist (but also dreaming of radical economic transformation!).

So anyways, I worked, and it was fun because I’ve been OOO with Covid and various family obligations for the last few weeks. I’ve missed my colleagues and my projects, and it’s good to be back in the saddle.

Work is core to who I am, and I think I’m not alone in that. Work makes me feel useful, needed, engaged, and socially connected. I also really like my current job. That hasn’t always been the case. Like most people I’ve gone through prolonged challenging periods in my career. It can be so easy, during those fallow times, to become discouraged or even despairing, especially if you are unemployed or underemployed. So today we’re talking about job search despair. It happens to all of us. It’s to be expected. And managing it is an important skill!

Are you struggling through a job search? Or enjoying a moment of professional abundance? Either way, I’d love to know!

Whatever you’re facing, I’m wishing you all the best, as always, on your professional journey.

EM

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How to handle job search despair

My dad is a a general contractor. He owns his own firm and has employed carpenters, secretaries, plumbers, electricians and various others over the years. As a child he would say to me, “There’s always work for the guy that shows up.”

Major recessions notwithstanding, he’s basically right: there is always work for the guy that shows up.

Granted, it doesn’t always feel this way. Right now, for example, the technology industry is down about 200,000 jobs in 2023. That’s 200,000 people who until recently were making six figures, sipping on free LaCroix, and raking in the RSUs. Now many of these people are searching for work and since the Zero Interest Rate Economy is over there is more competition for the lucrative tech jobs that do exist.

A handful of my former colleagues, friends and family members are in this cohort, and have been job searching without much success for months. Fortunately most of them got great severance when they were laid off their last role. Nevertheless, like many people who’ve been searching for work without success for months, they can get a little gloomy. Sometimes that gloominess dips into despair territory.

So let’s talk for a minute about job search despair. It visits all of us at one time or another. Feeling like you are never going to succeed is a normal and unpleasant part of actually succeeding. That said, it’s a really bad idea to linger in despair. So here’s how to unstick yourself as quickly as possible, if you find yourself experiencing job search despair:

• Look underneath the despair — Despair is an extremely unhelpful mindset. It is also a lie because it entails an almost total lack of hope and there is always reason to hope. Usually when you are feeling despair there are actually other feelings underneath the despair, like frustration, fear, disappointment, discouragement. Allow yourself to feel these feelings; they are valid, necessary, and helpful.

• Make space for what you find there — Once you’ve identified the feelings you’re experiencing underneath the despair, make space for them. Mourn the loss of the dream you had for how things would go. Befriend your fear about what may happen to you or the world. And, if you find that you are angry (or frustrated), hold on to that. Your anger is that part of you that cares about you the most. Anger is what happens when you don’t get what you know you need or when a boundary is violated. So make use of your anger, allow it to propel you forward.

• Remember that it’s supposed to be an emotional rollercoaster — Professional journeying, like all of life, is full of ups and downs. Feeling discouraged or even momentarily despairing is perfectly normal. You cannot get anywhere worth going without experience many negative emotions. You are not alone; everyone goes through feeling discouraged or despairing at one time or another.

• Just keep swimming — You have a professional development strategy (its called informational interviewing). So just keep swimming. Informational interviewing, like all of life, is about showing up. And as my dad always says, “There is always work for the guy who shows up.”

• Keep an open mind — As you pursue your professional development strategy (aka informational interviewing), try to keep an open mind. The world is always shifting. You can conjure dreams and plans for your next role or the trajectory of your career, but those plans might not make sense or be reality-based. Allow yourself to be surprised by yourself and the world. Your professional life may not unfold in the way you were hoping or expecting, but it can still be a nourishing, energizing and life-affirming journey!

That’s pretty much it. Much easier said than done. But if you can master the art of managing your emotions in a healthy way you’ll be basically unstoppable.

What I’m reading….

The Theory of Careering: Ideas on how we can play through our worklives ~ A theoretical artifact by Teal Process & CompanyJust trust me. I don’t know what to call this: an article, a game, an interactive journey? Theoretical artifact is the term the makers of this…thing…have used. Either way, this is a very cool way of articulating how to be creative and nimble ini the professional realm!

On the future of work, learning, time, and space ~ Teal Process & Company in The Creative Independent Same folks as in the above “Theory of Careering.” This is an interview they did with The Creative Independent discussing a new model of space and time.