5 tips on navigating a hostile job market with focus and calm from Steve Harper, a life-long freelancer.
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After years as an actor and a freelance writer I know the ups and downs of employment. Back in the day people expected to hold jobs for most of their adult lives; have one single employer until the day they retire. Both my parents went that route.
That employment model is not common these days, and the ups and downs can be difficult to navigate. The reason: it’s easy to equate employment with self-worth. But does that have to be the case?
A friend reached out to me recently – he was having a hard time with the fact that he lost his job. He was freaking out about whether he’d find another one. I relate to the difficulty even though I was never a guy who expected that kind of long-term employment.
When I trained to work in my industry I didn’t realize all the jobs are temporary jobs – a 3-month run in a play, for instance, or a 3-day TV acting job, or a 20 week contract writing for a TV show. Over the years, I’ve developed strategies to move through the tough parts. I’m changing the paradigm by altering the way I think about work and my relationship to work.
I’ve learned to steel myself against the emotional backlash of not being hired. I’ve discovered how to move gracefully through the end of gig. And I’ve found ways to keep busy, working for myself when I’m not on contract.
Short-term employment is the new normal. The skills I developed for my out-of-the-box career are now applicable to everyone. It is possible to stay focused and hopeful in the midst of job market chaos.
Here are a few things I’ve learned:
- Everything is temporary. We go around pretending like jobs don’t end – but everything ends. It may sound depressing, but there’s some comfort in it; it’s not just me.
- Nothing is personal. Getting hired is often about “who fits in” in a workplace culture – that may be about education or expertise, but it’s not about who I am as a person. When a contract ends or I don’t get a gig I affirm that it’s not my “fault” – it’s something that happens regularly for all kinds of reasons.
- I am not what I do. There are hundreds of aspects to my life and career and what I do for a living is only one aspect. When I’m not working for someone else, I gain self-esteem by focusing on other parts of my life.
- Self-employment is a real option. I work as a creativity coach, I write, I act and I earn money. I’m a business owner – there’s power in it.
- Career skills are transferrable. I spent 10 years as a computer trainer, using my training as an actor and writer to enhance my classroom presence and develop curriculum. I used those skills in an exciting and vibrant new way – and it paid well.
Knowing what I know, I was surprised recently, to feel the familiar twinge of sadness when I didn’t get a new job after a round of interviews. I still have the self-employed work I do and I love. And there’s plenty more to do.
Sometimes it feels personal, even though I know it’s not. We toss around the word “rejection” – but not being chosen for a job is – not being chosen. If I go to the store and I’m thinking of buying peanut butter or almond butter and I opt for the almond butter – have I rejected the peanut butter?
No, I’ve simply made a different choice. Peanut butter is still a perfectly good option. I leave interviews firmly believing that I’m a perfectly good (sometimes great) option. If a potential employer doesn’t see that, I have to find a way to let that go.
As I work for myself, part of my task is to remain hopeful and present to each opportunity. While I understand (and sometimes feel) the sting of not being “the choice” – I lean into the idea that there’s something better right around the corner.
In my experience, something good always happens.
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Photo: Bernard Pollack / flickr