With bills to pay and responsibilities to meet, oftentimes, the default reaction to unexpected unemployment is to dive right into finding a new position, spending all hours filling out applications and scrambling to network. Experts warned, however, that taking this approach and failing to take care of yourself during the job hunt can impede the process. \u201cIt’s a real need to have a job and be financially stable [and people] think that that should supersede the need to look after yourself, but what I find is when people let go of looking after themselves, they often come to a stage of burnout,\u201d warned Jeeda Alhakim, a specialist counseling psychologist and senior lecturer at City St George’s, University of London, who has worked on projects around aid workers\u2019 mental health. Right now, she believes there is an overall sense of despondency and helplessness among job seekers in the aid and development sectors. That\u2019s related to the swarm of job losses that have come in the wake of the Trump administration\u2019s downsizing of USAID and other government agencies alongside aid cuts in other countries, forcing many NGOs to impose layoffs. This is creating an oversaturated job market, making job searching right now more fraught. With this in mind, it\u2019s even more crucial that job seekers take steps to protect their overall health and well-being, experts said. \u201cA job search is an emotionally demanding search, even in a good market,\u201d said Rachel Korb, a coach and body-mind mentor. \u201cYou\u2019re dealing with a lot of rejection and none of it\u2019s personal, but it feels very personal as you\u2019re going through the experience.\u201d But what does taking care of yourself look like on a practical level? Devex asked the experts. 1. Sticking to a routine If a person has lost their job and their days now consist of job hunting, Mona Chergui, a counsellor, psychotherapist, coach, and well-being project manager, stressed how easy it can be to forgo a routine, but how key it is to looking after yourself. \u201cJust making sure that we’re eating three mainly nutritious meals every day \u2026, that we\u2019re still doing our exercise routine, that maybe we get out once a day and do a walk around the block; that can cover a lot of taking care of ourselves without really thinking about it,\u201d she shared. Setting a structure in place can also make job hunting seem less of a daunting task and make job searching, CV editing, application submission, and interview preparation more manageable. But only a set part of the day should be dedicated to job hunting, said Lucia Berdondini, associate professor in psychology at the University of East London, told Devex in an email, warning against letting it take over entirely. \u201cInstead dedicate a specific time for applications and then allow yourself space for rest, movement, or connecting with others.\u201d Alhakim suggested also setting time aside to cultivate the things that bring joy. \u201cIt might be a friend, family member, or children \u2026 Are there any hobbies that they can kind of go back to? If [they] can build that relationship with that person or that thing, that can help them cultivate hope a bit more.\u201d 2. Identifying your goals There can be a tendency in a job hunt to apply for anything that remotely fits your skill set in what Korb referred to as the \u201cscarcity mindset.\u201d But operating this way can lead to fewer application responses, which feeds into negative thoughts and potential loss of self-confidence. \u201cWhen we enter a job search driven by fear \u2026 we can easily fall into a survival mode that narrows our perspective. It can lead to frantic applications, accepting roles that don\u2019t align with our values, or feeling crushed by every rejection. Over time, this erodes confidence and creates a vicious cycle of stress and self-doubt,\u201d agreed Berdondini. \u201cIn the aid sector, where people often connect their identity with their work, that fear can also undermine their sense of purpose and belonging.\u201d With that in mind, Chergui suggested starting any job search by identifying your main goals, be they financial, geographical, based on the skills you want to utilize, or the trajectory you wish your career to follow. \u201cSpend time determining what your priorities are, thinking about what you can compromise on \u2026 What is going to be okay for your mental health and well-being? But then also be clear on what the nonnegotiables are,\u201d said Chergui. \u201cThat can really help to provide perspective.\u201d 3. Listening to the body When an opportunity comes in, if finances allow, experts told Devex it\u2019s important to then consider if it\u2019s the right fit rather than automatically accepting \u2014 even though that may be tempting in this market. Korb suggested doing a body scan to see how the idea of the new role and workplace sits. \u201c80% of the information we take in is through our senses and it moves up the vagus nerve into the brain and then the brain makes sense of it. Only 20% actually starts in the brain so if we’re shutting down the body, we\u2019re shutting down potentially up to 80% of information,\u201d she said. \u201cExpansion normally means you\u2019re in alignment and moving in the direction of somewhere you want to go so that might be warmth in the chest, or maybe you start to smile \u2026 Contraction is normally felt in the throat, the jaw, the chest, knots in the stomach, or tensing the shoulders. This is normally out of alignment.\u201d To increase the chances of a positive mind and body reaction to a position, it should be aligned with your values as well as your goals, Korb added. To identify whether a role does that, she suggested assessing whether your values show up within the potential employer and whether anything in the role lends itself to skills you have. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that you are evaluating them just as much as they\u2019re evaluating you,\u201d she said. 4. Getting organized A mistake people often make when job hunting, said Chergui, is being too haphazard in their approach to the employment search. This can mean repeat or half-filled applications and losing track of which roles have been applied to and where. To maintain a sense of order, she recommended creating a spreadsheet that lists potential jobs that align with your goals, their closing dates, and when they\u2019ve been applied for. Organization can help tap into a sense of calm and peace rather than a frantic energy. \u201cI also encourage everybody to save their applications that they have it ready should they be invited to an interview, but also to use things that they\u2019ve already written to apply to other jobs as well, so you don\u2019t have to keep reinventing the wheel,\u201d Chergui said \u201cIf you kind of have the base content right, you can then adapt it for each application that you\u2019re doing.\u201d That can free up some time that can be spent doing other things that bring joy. 5. Finding support Now more than ever, job seekers are not alone. And rather than navigating a rocky employment market alone, there is value in connecting with others experiencing the same situation, said the coaches who spoke with Devex. \u201cTalking with peers, mentors, or colleagues can reduce the isolation and give you perspective. Sometimes even sharing the frustration helps,\u201d said Berdondini. Currently, there are a number of online and offline forums and platforms convening those impacted by the aid cuts and offering tangible job-seeking advice as well as space to connect with others on creative ideas and discuss the impact of the cuts. The USAID Stop-Work website, USAID Resource Hub, and free monthly career-reset events by certain coaches, for example, have emerged since the cuts to USAID were announced earlier this year, while university alumni networks and circles of practice have long been sources of support in the community. These can be tapped into to feel a sense of community and provide support. But overall, said Alhakim, it\u2019s important to remember \u201cthat a job is just part of one part of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
With bills to pay and responsibilities to meet, oftentimes, the default reaction to unexpected unemployment is to dive right into finding a new position, spending all hours filling out applications and scrambling to network. Experts warned, however, that taking this approach and failing to take care of yourself during the job hunt can impede the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a real need to have a job and be financially stable [and people] think that that should supersede the need to look after yourself, but what I find is when people let go of looking after themselves, they often come to a stage of burnout,\u201d warned Jeeda Alhakim, a specialist counseling psychologist and senior lecturer at City St George’s, University of London<\/a>, who has\u00a0worked on projects<\/a>\u00a0around aid workers\u2019 mental health. <\/p>\n Right now, she believes\u00a0there is an overall sense of despondency and helplessness among job seekers in the aid and development sectors.\u00a0That\u2019s related to the swarm of job losses that have come in the wake of the Trump administration\u2019s downsizing<\/a>\u00a0of USAID<\/a>\u00a0and other government agencies alongside aid cuts in other countries, forcing many NGOs to impose layoffs<\/a>. This is creating an oversaturated job market, making job searching right now more fraught<\/a>. With this in mind, it\u2019s even more crucial that job seekers take steps to protect their overall health and well-being, experts said.<\/p>\n This article is exclusively for Career Account<\/strong> members. <\/p>\n Unlock this article now with a 15-day free trial of a Devex Career Account.<\/strong> With a Career Account subscription you will get: <\/p>\n\n
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