35. August Job Search Reset: And Now We Wait...

35. August Job Search Reset: And Now We Wait...Tips for Surviving the Job Search Waiting GameElin and I are taking a short summer break, so we’re bringing back a few episodes that feel especially useful as we head into late summer and the post-Labor Day job search push. And if your job search feels especially quiet right now? You’re probably not imagining it.July and August are often one of the slower times of year for hiring. People go on vacation, museums are busy with summer programming and application processes stretch out. You’re left refreshing your inbox wondering, Should I follow up again? Should I keep applying? Is this normal? What am I supposed to be doing while I wait? That’s why we’re revisiting And Now We Wait..., an episode all about navigating the frustrating in-between periods of a job search.Because while you can’t control how quickly an organization moves, whether someone responds to your email, or when the next opportunity gets posted, there are still things you can do to keep your job search moving forward. In this episode, we talk about:why hiring processes can take so long—and why the silence isn’t necessarily about youwhen you should follow up during an interview processwhy you shouldn’t stop applying just because one opportunity feels promisinghow to use the waiting period to prepare for potential next-round interviewsways to organize and refine your job search systemswhy keeping a workplace diary can make future resumes and interviews much easierhow to reconnect with and expand your professional networkhow to identify skills you may want to intentionally buildways to use courses, volunteering, shadowing, projects, and other opportunities to fill experience gapshow slower periods can give you space to strengthen your professional visibility and explore new ideasand why sometimes the most productive thing you can do is give yourself permission to rest The waiting game is one of the hardest parts of searching for a job, especially when so much of the process is outside of your control. If August has you hearing crickets, use this episode as an opportunity to reset. Instead of asking, “Why isn’t anything happening?” consider asking: “What’s one thing I can do now that will make me more prepared when things start moving again?”