Spoon Theory for Job Searches
An idea originally proposed for managing chronic illnesses might help you more sustainably tackle your job search.
Photo by Tiard Schulz on Unsplash
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Have you ever heard of spoon theory? Back in 2003, writer Christine Miserandino described having lupus to a friend of hers while sitting in a diner. Giving that friend a bunch of spoons, she said that they represented energy, and then went through a list of tasks one might do during the day, assigning each an "energy cost." The amount of energy (spoons) was finite, forcing tradeoffs in what could be done in a given day. The metaphor has become a bit cliche in chronic illness circles but I think the fundamental idea applies well to job searches as well.
There are only so many hours in the day. There are even fewer productive hours. There's only so much of you to go around. In the current job climate searches are taking longer than they did during boom times and as people reach an increasing sense of crisis, they sometimes take to grinding away and spraying & praying their resume to every listing they find. Some are now describing levels of burnout that surpasses what they might have in an actual job. No bueno.
A lot of what I recommend to my clients is about doing less work in their job search. Do better work, do more effective work, and reduce your cognitive load so you can be your best self when you land that next role. What can you automate, what can you do less of, what can you let go? How can you best manage your spoons?
Here are some ideas:
Focus. More laser, less shotgun.
As I mentioned in my last newsletter piece, one issue slowing down hiring is just the sheer volume of applications floating around. You know that job that you're not really interested in that you won't remember 3 seconds after you apply? What if you didn't apply to that role? What if instead you raised the floor a bit and applied to fewer jobs, the ones you actually have interest in. If you don't have an answer for why you want to work somewhere or learn more, maybe just save yourself (and an overwhelmed recruiter) the time.
Use templates.
I've worked with people that say they have dozens of different versions of their resume and that part of why they don't submit cover letters is because it takes too long and "no one" reads them. I'll spare you the rant about how and why you should be including cover letters and will instead say that you don't need to start from scratch for every application.
I suggest people have maybe two to three different resumes, both with clear areas of emphasis. Along those lines, do the same for cover letters. Capture the gist of what you want to say, then for a specific role add in just the parts that need to adjust for that. You should have an idea about what you want to do next in your professional journey, the only specific parts should be how that particular role can help you get there and how your background aligns.
Take breaks. You're a person not a job search.
Yes, economic needs are very real. I get that and I'm not saying to dismiss them. However, in the same way that you (hopefully) don't work a job 24/7, you should create boundaries for yourself. Take time for lunch. Work out. Walk the dogs. Pursue your hobby. You are a person, not a personified job search. You need to step away from the task to be able to be at your best.
Thinking longer term, if you're ridiculously burned out or traumatized from your last role, maybe you need to take time away from work-related things entirely to let the dust settle a bit (if possible). Don't think about your search at all. Just be and just breathe. Then come back to the job search when you're not drained before you've even opened your laptop.
Be a duck.
I've been in a number of debates online with "experts" that advise people to be proactive about every slight that might happen along the way. You didn't hear back from an application? Take to Glassdoor! Didn't get feedback? Be upset recruiters aren't helping you! Interview was full of bad questions? Be annoyed at having to describe your weaknesses in the best way possible! I often end up as the dissenting voice when I recommend that people get back to working on finding a job. Not as a means to forgive bad actors but instead as a way to let things roll off of you like water on a duck.
Job searches suck, recruiters are human, and most interviewers are just reading questions off a page that they didn't write themselves. That doesn't mean there's no room to give feedback or feel like the process shouldn't be done better. However, what's the problem you're trying to solve? Getting a job. Is being upset helping that cause? Probably not. Work on the real problem. Keep your eyes on the prize, have empathy for other people in different parts of the process, and recognize that a company that disrespects you during hiring probably isn't a place you want to be as an employee. (When you’ve got your new job you can spend time helping them avoid the mistakes you encountered.)
Be intentional.
Overall, the tl;dr of this whole piece is to be mindful about where you’re spending your time and energy. There's only so much of it to go around.
If you need help figuring out ways to maximize your efforts in your own job search, reach out and let's talk it over. I'm here to help.