Clearly, you need a break from your job search. Where are you going to find it? I am so glad you asked. You know I am music fan. I tend not to gravitate to the genre that engages the likes of Yanni and Zamfir - but that would seem to be a miniscule subset of the music arena, yet I do have an affinity to Andreas Vollenweider and Enya. So..maybe..anything will do.
Here is today’s career advice – head down to your local electronics dealer and purchase an Ipod, or a Zune, and the really expensive BOSE headphones right now. Today. If you already have one, treat your self to a gift card for tunes, tunes and more tunes.
But I thought you said – Monster, Careerbuilder, or some niche job board? Indeed… dot wrong!! We are talking a mental health day, Jobseeker. Remember those when you were employed? A fun-filled melodic, frustration escaping, head banging or not so much, anti-jobsearch diversion-filled afternoon on the lawn at a Lilith Fair/Ozzfest direct from Itunes or the Zune Marketplace where you won’t find a career opporunity but you will find a well-deserved getaway.
Why? Because you and I occasionally need to grab hold of a big ol’ dose of Sublimation. What? Look – not only has this blog saved my life on occasion, I consider it my no cost Employee Assistance Program and… sublimation? Well, sublimation is my personal therapist at a buck and some change per song. Most therapists are by the hour, mine are like – by the mix tape.
I almost forgot to share the definition of the day -
Sublimation is the transformation of unwanted impulses into something less harmful. This can simply be a distracting release or may be a constructive and valuable piece of work.
When we are faced with the dissonance of uncomfortable thoughts, we create psychic energy. This has to go somewhere. Sublimation channels this energy away from destructive acts and into something that is socially acceptable and/or creatively effective.
How could you not want some significant milligrams of that? Being self-employed – or unemployed with a business card and a website as I like to think of it, I have my share of frustrations and I need an outlet – for instance, a place to channel my urge to hang up the phone violently after leaving the nineteenth slightly, different worded positive voicemail about a great candidate in a salesy voice with a question inviting a call back that is coming at I time I wish I knew. While waiting for the call, I simply dial up Linkin Park’s – In The End and find out “it doesn’t really matter.”
Perhaps I find solace in an oldie but a goodie by Limp Bizkit when I want to “Break Stuff” or simply try to answer everyone’s oft asked rhetorical question “Who’s Gonna Give Me Some Sugar Tonight?” with solid counsel from Kid Rock. I don’t have to schedule an appointment and even though there is a CVS or Walgreen’s on every corner, or one currently under construction – this is over-the-counter laced musaceuticals and I am happy to participate in the clinical trial.
Whew – enough of my rant. Seriously, step away from it for a few. You need to disengage and realize this job seeking is tougher than job having. We talk alot about personal branding - just accept that right now.. you are more of a brand competing for a position than a person that holds one. I know that is tough to soak in sometimes – it is just a reminder that your resume, your online profiles, your cover letters, your written communication and the interwoven touchpoints need fine tuning.
While the selected tunes above are on the raucous side – on the lighter side, we look at a Paul McCartney and Wings song from back in the day and I offer a paraphrased, parody perspective – right now – you are a – Brand on The Run. What direction are you heading? Get your clarity from a mental health day or two and head that direction. Maybe Paul wasn’t talking about your job search – but imagine he was – know that YOU will not be “stuck inside these four walls, sent inside forever.”
Tags: Andy Gregory, career, career transition, cgp network, The Grounded Edge
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