Burnout has moved to the front burner as of late, having been recently named an diagnosable ailment by The World Health Organization. Recent LinkedIn research shows an astonishing 97 percent of millennials feel burned out.
The causes of burnout are many and many-faceted. Across all age groups, 70 percent say they aren’t unplugging during vacations. There’s a help gap as 30 percent of professionals admit they’d rather work an extra six hours a week than seek help. And the more money you make, the more stress you take: 47 percent of people making $35,000-$50,000 a year said they were stressed at work, while the number jumped to 68 percent for those earning $200,000+ annually.
It gets trickier. So you feel burned out and commit to find another job, but you know the job search itself is exhausting and will suck up the last few fumes you’re running on.
The prospect of becoming a prospect is daunting.
LinkedIn’s research shows that as a result, 39 percent of U.S. job seekers say the job-hunt process being too stressful and exhausting is one of the main roadblocks for finding a new job.
So how do you break free from this trap?
I enrolled the help of LinkedIn Career expert Blair Decembrele who shared six ways to conduct a job search in a way that won’t burn you out more than you already are.
1. Know what you’re in the job-hunting game for.
Know what your job must-haves are before you start your search. Dig into what interests you and makes you tick, examine your values and what you want to get out of your job. Decembrele says LinkedIn research shows that 71 percent of professionals would be willing to take a pay cut to work for a company that has shared values and a mission they believe in– would you?
Millennials are defining a “good job” as one that offers flexibility, values and skills, yet nearly 20 percent of professionals are looking for free food and game rooms. So think about what type of culture you want in your workplace and what benefits you need and want, and what you’d tradeoff for those things.
2. Search smart.
Take advantage of the targeted search tools that job sites offer. Narrow your search by job function, experience level, title, industry and type, location, and use key words like “remote” or “work-from-home” to find opportunities that map back to your specific needs and wants. If you’re like 85 percent of U.S. professionals who would take a pay cut for a shorter commute, use the sites’ tools (like LinkedIn’s Your Commute tool) to understand the commute time involved before you even apply for the role.
3. Perfect your profile.
Your online profile on sites like LinkedIn form a critical first impression. Decembrele says a strong, updated profile should include a current and professional photo, and details like skills, education, most recent job, and location.
4. Let recruiters quietly know you’re available.
In the case of LinkedIn, their Open Candidates feature signals to recruiters that you’re open to new opportunities, and makes you twice as likely to receive relevant opportunities. Specifying the types of companies and roles you’re most interested in on the job site you use makes sure the most relevant opportunities come your way, not other time and energy wasting ones.
5. Set up alerts on your job site.
Any job site worth its salt will enable you to get alerts for specific roles, companies or locations in their database and to quickly apply. Decembrele says this is critical as “being one of the first 25 applicants means you’re up to three times more likely to get hired.”
6. Work your connections.
According to LinkedIn research, more than 70 percent of professionals get hired at a company where they have a professional connection, and job applicants who are referred by an employee are up to nine times more likely to get hired. Seek out people in your network who are in roles that you find interesting or in industries that you’d like to break into.
So don’t let burnout keep you from moving someplace that won’t burn you out. Hack the job search process with these six sharp tips.
Leave a Reply