Are You Overthinking Things in Your Job Search

Are You Overthinking Things in Your Job Search Are You Overthinking Things in Your Job Search If you think about it, there are so many components to a job search. Resumes. Cover letters. Job descriptions. Interviews. Negotiations. It can definitely be easy to overthink each step of the job search process in order to ensure that you’re doing everything correctly. Problem is, this overthinking things can slow down your search- or worse, bring it to a grinding halt. If you’re facing some serious overanalyzing, here are some things you might be overthinking in your job search and how to overcome them. Heres how you may be overthinking things in your job search: You’re overthinking the job postings. Job postings can be intimidating. Sometimes they are written in a very formal, unfriendly manner, listing all the qualifications you’ll need in order to be considered for the position. Just reading them can make your eyes glaze over and have you thinking (or in this case, overthinking) that you’re not qualified. But don’t be afraid to  apply for a job that you could be a fit for. No employer expects you to have every single qualification listed in the description. There is always going to be a learning curve when it comes to a new job, so don’t assume that you need to check off every item on the employer’s wishlist before applying. You’re overthinking your writing skills. You’re not Hemingway, and you’re convinced that your subpar writing skills have kept you from getting hired. Chances are your writing skills are just fine. You don’t have to craft every single sentence perfectly (although iffy grammar and a typo-laden cover letter are definitely frowned upon by employers). If you’re unsure of your writing skills, have a friend or family member read it over for accuracy and clarity. If you think that your cover letter is the culprit in your job search, it could be that you’re not tailoring it specifically to each job that you’re applying for. You’re overthinking your interviewing skills. Sure, you can whip up a great cover letter and resume, but when it comes to one-on-one interviews? Well, you freeze up. Everyone gets nervous when it comes to interviews, especially if it’s for a job that you really, really want. But having a “this person can change my entire life if he hires me for the job” mentality can make you a mess come interview time. Switch your mindset instead to seeing your interview as more of a conversation where you’ll discuss your skills, experience, and education as it relates to the job. Removing the pressure will make you less stressed and more confident. You’re overthinking your employment gaps. Whether you took some time off to travel the world or to stay at home to care for your children, you might have some employment gaps on your resume. That’s OK;  life happens. But if you become so self-conscious about not having a perfectly streamlined resume with one job flowing right into the next, then you might inadvertently reflect those fears in your cover letter, or worse, your job interview. There are ways to cover up employment gaps, such as by redesigning your resume to have a more functional format, or use a skills-based resume that focuses less on chronological order and more on what you can bring to the table as a job candidate. You’re overthinking past job search problems. Your job application got tossed by the applicant tracking system. You botched a third-round job interview by forgetting your potential employer’s name. You couldn’t get your Skype to work for a video interview. These past job search problems can plague you, but only if you let them. Instead of focusing on past faux pas (we all have them), learn from them. You now know how to beat the applicant tracking system, you learned to write down the name of the person interviewing you in case you forget, and you figured out all your tech issues ahead of time before a potential video interview. View each mistake as a lesson learned, and move on. You’re overthinking the ability to find a flexible job. Everyone tells you how hard it is to find a job these days. But when you tell them that you’re looking for a flexible job that will allow you to work from home, you might be met with even more negativity. Without getting positive reinforcement from friends and family members, you might suffer some serious overthinking  as it relates to your job search, and even ditch the idea of looking for flexible work. But as we can attest, the number of legitimate flexible jobs continues to rise. In fact, 80 percent of all employers now offer some sort of flexible job options. So determine what level of workplace flexibility you need (i.e., full-time or part-time telecommuting, part-time jobs, compressed workweek, freelance or contract jobs) and then look within your field to find those flexible jobs. We guarantee that they are out there. It’s easy to get overwhelmed during your job search and suffer from some serious overanalyzing. But instead of overthinking your search- and not doing anything to correct it- focus instead on what you can offer to a potential employer, forgive yourself for past errors, and move forward in your search, confident that you can (and will) find a flexible job that meets both your professional and personal needs. Readers, do you get stuck overthinking things during your job search? What are the triggers that trip you up? Let us know in the comments below!