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#74 Tina Persson on how to stay resilient during the job hunting process: Tips and Tricks

In this episode, the founder of the podcast Dr. Tina Persson shares her knowledge about two of the most important qualities you need to have during the job search. Through her experience in career coaching, she provides a unique perspective and valuable advice on this issue.

Published onMay 10, 2019
#74 Tina Persson on how to stay resilient during the job hunting process: Tips and Tricks
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In this episode, the founder of the podcast Dr. Tina Persson talks about two of the most important qualities you need to have during the job search.

If weeks of unemployment have turned to months for you, if you feel that you do not have the required skills and there are no jobs, this podcast is for you.

Tina, being the professional career coach and recruitment specialist in the present and the Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology in the past, provides a unique perspective on this issue and gives valuable advice.

A job-hunting process is something that we put time on, it’s like writing a novel, an article. It is not what you do on one day, it is what you do on a daily basis, day out and day in. But the trick is if you’re going to be successful in your job-hunting process you must trust the process and learn to stay resilient.

Dr. Tina Persson


Transcript

Hi, I am Paulius Mikulskis from PhD career stories. It is my pleasure to introduce Tina Persson. In today’s podcast, Tina talks about resilience and trust.
Two of the most important qualities you need to have to stay sane during job search.

Tina Persson:

You have designed your CV, crafted motivational letters, wrapped up a LinkedIn profile and maybe even attending some interview. But that was it! For you: Weeks of unemployment have turned to months. And the feeling you have is: There are no jobs! And no one is interested in my competence, I have the wrong skills or don’t have the skills required. That is at least what you feel. In addition, most job ads are not designed for me.

After more that 3000 hours of coaching I would say: This is what I hear from 90% of all my clients on the first coach meeting.

A feeling is a feeling. But, is your feeling based on facts? Or, could it be that you are not resilient in the job searching process? And that you expect a result too fast?

The fact is that PhDs are very attractive on the market! Most of you, if not all of you, find a job solution.

What is your feeling? Do you feel attractive? If not, why?

But what does a job search process look like? I call it the “Hidden Jobs Process” – It is not what you do in one day! It is what you do on a daily basis – day out and day in. A process you as PhD student have trained for the last 4 years. The trick is – Trust the process and learn to stay resilient.

Transition from academia to industry takes around 6-8 months. That is normal. So, if you know that! Then start your process while being finishing your PhDs. Or, at least as soon as you can.

Avoid excuses such as: I don’t have time, I have too much to do, I must wrap up my article. And stop blaming circumstance’s: My PI wants me to, I must …… We call it – Procrastinating!

If you listen to me now – what are you procrastinating? Are you procrastinating?

I will now share some tips:

  1. Stick to your daily routine. Stand up, get dressed, and work on the process. Later in podcast, I come back to what I mean with the process.

  2. Stick to the learning process. You have managed a PhD. So, you can learn how to get a job. Consider it to be another article you are working on.

  3. Take care of yourself: Physical training, eat and sleep properly. If not, you take the risk to go for burn-out.

  4. Set- up short and long-time goals and stay focused

  5. Train your Brain to be resilient. I will get back to this later in podcast.

  6. Met people- avoid being too alone or isolating yourself.

The process (A systematic process)

Make a personal inventory based on your skills:

  1. List your Technical skills

  2. Reflect over: What you like or not like to do. Reflect over your PhD!  What did I like to do, and what did I not like to do?

  3. What values do you have? Are you aware of your values??

Learn about the labour market.

  1. List companies (50-60), That will be your first prospect list

  2. Identify Key People and find e-mail or phone number. Key People could be a person you know, or a person having a job you like to have.

  3. Use LinkedIn and contact people. Take contact and ask questions – thus you learn.

  4. First contact: Mail or call? What do you prefer? Call people that you might have something in common with eg. Same university, country, common referrals etc.

  5. And don’t forget to say: Thank you to yourself at the end of every week. And take some time off! You need that! Trust the process!

Finally, Some tips on How to stay resilient:

  1. Focus on things you can control! Drop the rest.

  2. Look back on what you have done! And say: Great! If I keep up the tempo! It will work. TRUST the process.

  3. Ask for help! Surround yourself with people supporting you. Not people telling you it’s impossible or people being negative. Negative people are poison! Look for people that have done it!

  4. Remind yourself: It’s about learning – and training yourself to stay open-minded – as then I will find an opportunity – an opportunity I will take!

Good luck in your career development!

I hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to contact us on all the usual social media channels. Have a great rest of your day and see you in two weeks!

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