What's Keeping Me Up at Night During This Job Search?

It’s about two months into my hunt for a new professional home. Kicking my job search into high gear has been an intense start-up process. Fortunately, there is a substantial variety of tools for all types of job seekers. Nonetheless, these thoughts cross my mind every night: "Will I ever find another job again?" or "What if there's no real fit for me at local companies, and I'll have to pull up stakes and move several states away?" or "How much more to the bone can I live without jeopardizing my well-being or that of my two young sons?” After all, I am 100% responsible for them. So lots and lots of "what-ifs" along those lines run through my mind.

 

On the more positive side, I also have thoughts attached to various promising job possibilities, interviews and networking moments. For example, if this one particular likely job application and its interviews come through to a job offer, what will it mean to my altered professional life? The permutations cover thoughts such as longer commuting time, having to possibly engage an additional part-time sitter, more expenses associated with a long commute, etc., etc. Then I sit back and say, "Whoa, Jane, just take one day at a time and cross those bridges when you get there."

 

I’ve also heard on the radio that some firms are rehiring many of the same folks they let go in past months or last year. They’ve discovered they laid off the folks with experience (and larger paychecks), giving up the expertise to remain financially competitive. So now another thought that keeps me awake is the possibility I could be rehired by my former employer. Is it better to go back with the devil you know rather than the one you don't? Or should I just never look back and seize this opportunity to move forward in my professional life? So many folks have said to me that there is certainly something better awaiting me, and they say it with great confidence.

 

Most of these anxious ideas running around in my head come at the end of a long job-hunting day, whereby it is not clearly evident I am making progress. Despite my best efforts of tracking all conversations, networking opportunities, linking into new contact points and going on interviews, I still sometimes get bogged down by my worries. My gut instinct to squash those worries before bed is to become physically active in cleaning my house. I can’t go out for a late-night run, which would be my preference, since I can’t leave my sons alone in the house.

 

Recently, I've been encouraged by a wise gentleman who tells me that while the job quest progress may not be self-evident right now, it will all gel together in a most surprising way when I least expect it. Meanwhile, I just keep trying to direct my thoughts in a positive direction despite the late-night worries and strive to run all other things in my life in the same direction to a happy end.

 

What is your key worry that prevents you from getting fitful sleep at night while unemployed?

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