Many Data Scientists are very confident that they can find a new job quickly if needed. When the time comes, the actual job hunt might take much longer than anticipated. How do you overcome the cognitive dissonance of selling yourself to a prospective employer when you’ve taken a big hit on your confidence?
Below are five things suggested by Harvard Business Review and other respective resources, which I, with my mentees, found helpful.
Write 10 reasons why you’re successful and read them every morning
Writing a list of accomplishments helps you alter the negative thought patterns that can destroy your confidence. Instead of focusing on things that make you feel worse about your unemployment and the constant rejection, focus on the facts in front of you.
What made you successful in your previous work environments?
What skills do you possess, and how do you leverage them?
Set daily and weekly goals
When you’re working, you usually know what goals you’re trying to accomplish each week or month. During a job hunt, you have a high-level goal of finding a new job, but as the days turn into weeks and months, you may feel defeated because you haven’t achieved your goal. Break it down into smaller pieces! Determine the specific period you will spend updating your resume, practicing interviewing, refreshing old skills, learning new skills, etc. Find a digital or paper planner to inspire you to write down your goals. Using a planner will provide visual evidence that you’re getting something done every day.
Focus on what you can control
All companies’ recruiting processes are different and might take as little as a couple of weeks up to several months. Roles or budgets can change after a job is posted or after you've been interviewed. You also can’t control whether a recruiter disappears and ghosts you, whether any jobs are open in your chosen field at a particular time, or how many jobs you’ll need to apply to before you find the perfect one. Focusing on all of these things will sap your energy. Instead, focus on things you can control. For example, figure out what you want to do and develop a resume demonstrating your skills and capabilities through the lens of the new job.
Find a trusted person and work on improving yourself
Everyone has her/his challenges during the job hunt. Some people instead rarely get responses for the applications. Some people fear speaking in a foreign language. Some notice that they are very stressed during the interview and often say complete nonsense. Whatever your challenge is, consider finding a professional to work on it together. For example, a mentor in your field can help you polish your CV and prepare for interviews. Or a language teacher if talking in a foreign language is problematic. Or a psychologist if you can barely speak with a stranger during an interview.
Remember: job is not everything
Permit yourself to job hunt for a set period each day, and then empower yourself to close the computer and try other ways to rebuild your confidence. Confidence comes from feeling
capable in your mind and body to accomplish anything you want to
accomplish. Building up your confidence when not working will allow you
to believe in yourself holistically, so when you do find that next
opportunity, you won’t rely on the job to confirm your value.
What did you find useful in your own job hunt? Feel free to share your story in the comment section below!
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