Over the course of your career, three situations may have happened to you:
- A change occurred at your organization that has made your work environment, and consequently your job, suddenly unbearable.
- Lay-offs have been announced, and either you are one of those who will face the ax or you are fearful that you may be.
- While unemployed, you reach a certain point where you feel the job-search process is going far too slowly.
If you have been in any of these three situations, chances are, a great deal of fear, impatience or frustration has set in. As a result, you started to submit your resume or apply to any job, regardless of job requirements, salary or, in some cases, qualifications.
This is a situation that can be referred to as “panic applying.” In panic applying, you, as the job seeker, find yourself in a state of disarray that takes you out of your normal search process. As a result, two things could happen. First, employers may contact you with positions that aren’t what you’re looking for in terms of pay or career level. Second, you don’t receive any contact at all, frustrating you even more, and potentially starting the panic applying cycle all over again.
While it’s natural to feel some level of frustration or fear, it’s equally important to take a step back from your situation. True, things may not be going your way. But what will happen if, as a result of panic applying, you find yourself offered a position that puts you in no better a spot than you’re in now?
Before hitting the Send button, take time out to ask the following:
- Is this the kind of job I really want?
- Will I end up in the same place a year from now? Six months from now? Sooner?
- How will this job affect my overall career development? Will this really allow me to grow as a professional.
For those who are unemployed, while certain states require a fixed number of weekly job contacts, don’t feel compelled to panic apply. Continue researching your field and companies like you would any other week. Sure, it may feel like you’re getting nowhere, but, in the end, taking a calm, cool approach will help you much more than settling for something you didn’t want in the first place.