If you follow Dipti on Instagram it is no secret that she has been job hunting for the past 4 months and has yet to land her next big move. Job hunting can be brutal, we all know. But Dipti has tried her best to stay positive and stay on track to finding her dream job.
It’s all about the Schedule
Dipti is very strict about her schedule now that she has a whole new time consuming project apart from the kids. Very rarely does she stray from her routine as that is usually what throws a wrench in her peace of mind! Kallan is still at home with Dipti so she isn’t able to dedicate a full 9-5 day to job hunting. So she picks out little pockets of time where she focuses on her hunt and what she wants to get done. Sachin has always been a “checklist” kind of guy and has encouraged Dipti to do the same. For her job hunt Dipti tries to keep a checklist of the priorities for the day and tries to hit those all, which help her feel productive and accomplished for the day. Whether it be “follow up with XYZ” or “re-search OAG opportunities” she makes full use of those few hours she has when Kal is sleeping/playing with the nanny.
Treat your Body Well
Dipti realized that sitting on her butt in front of a computer searching for jobs wasn’t helping her mind or body. There is nothing more important than being in the right mental and physical health when job hunting because you need to stomach a lot of rejection before the acceptance! So to keep her going Dipti started taking Kallan for walks in the mornings when it was cool outside but as the Summer got into full gear, the walks were too brutal for both of them. She finally convinced Sachin to buy her an elliptical that she could do at home. Doing a 30 minute workout every day has boosted her energy and helped lift her spirits.
Share Your Journey
If you follow Dipti on Instagram you know that she’s been sharing her job hunt on her stories for the last 20 weeks. There have been lots of ups and downs – finding her perfect job, getting rejected within hours of applying, recalling over and over answers to interview questions that she wished she said instead, etc. At first she was sharing her process just to have somewhere to “vent” out her frustrations with the process. But as time went on she received so many messages of support and encouragement and people she didn’t know telling her their job hunt stories. It was and still is the most inspiring experience she’s ever gained through social media. The outpour of support was something she didn’t expect at all and wishes she could encourage more people to share their stories for the same support! Instagram has been the strongest reinforcement of her confidence when the job hunting process was really bringing it down. And a bonus – people who she barely knew or hadn’t talked to in years were willing to give her referrals, which go a long way in the job hunt these days!
Here are some amazing words of wisdom she got in the last few weeks:
- REACH. Do not be scared to apply for jobs that are out of your “league” because they may be hiring to mold someone and may be looking for the perfect personality to fit the role.
- Follow-up. Don’t hesitate to follow up with people a few times – not 1 or 2, but 4 or 5 times is okay. It shows your interest and tenacity.
- Be Confident. Talk to everyone with confidence in your skills and background.
- Don’t Let the Rejections Get You Down. Keep moving forward, you’re an amazing candidate and the right position is on its way.
- Enjoy this time. Once you start working you’ll probably never stop again. So enjoy this time off with the kids, enjoy the Summer, take advantage of the “free” time you have!
Do Something Other Than Job Hunting
Being a mom of two, there is so much other stuff going on in Dipti’s life than job hunting. Sure, her mind tends to linger around the subject even when she’s not at her computer, she’ll open her LinkedIn Job Searchers app or check to see the last time the Office of Attorney General updated their job postings. But she tries to find time to let all that be and appreciate all the other great things in her life like playing with the boys, or going out with her friends, or date night where the topic of jobs is strictly disallowed! These little moments make the job hunt so much easier
