Have you ever felt like you totally rocked an interview? You had all your questions and answers ready, the hiring manager seemed really impressed, and they even hinted at a call back. You wake up the next morning with a huge smile on your face, waiting for an email or a phone call, but you get nothing. No worries, right? “They’ll probably get back to me tomorrow,” you think to yourself.
Yet tomorrow comes and goes, as does the day after and the day after, all without a phone call or email. The days turn into weeks and you start to get a little excited. Hope begins to dwindle as questions begin to mount.
- What’s taking so long?
- My interview wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
- Did I say something wrong?
- Did I misread the signals?
- Was my writing sample terrible?
- Should I send another email?
- WHY DID THEY NOT CALL ME BACK?
As time passes, you run out of these questions and can’t think of anything else. This is a dangerous time for any job seeker. This state of inner turmoil is often called job offer anxiety.
How should you deal with anxiety while waiting for a job offer?
The first step in dealing with job offer anxiety is to understand what it is and why you’re experiencing it. Typically, there are five reasons why a job seeker may struggle with job offer anxiety. with the hiring manager and/or they lack confidence in their resume.
How long is a reasonable time to wait for a job offer?
You will most likely hear about a job offer a week or two after your last job interview with the company. If you haven’t heard back from the hiring manager after two weeks, you should send a follow-up email. As always, remember to continue your job search while waiting for a job offer.
What is job offer anxiety?
Job offer anxiety is the anxiety and stress that a person usually feels while waiting for an interview or a call back. This anxiety is often accompanied by tense behavior and rumination. People who suffer from this are in a never-ending quest to find out why they didn’t get an interview/call when everything looked promising.
Struggling to answer this question, job seekers begin to second-guess their interviewing and writing skills as each day passes. They blame themselves for not getting the call and their confidence disappears. Job offer anxiety can affect even job seekers after receiving an offer.
For example, a job seeker may receive a job offer that happens to be their second choice. Now the question is whether to accept the offer or wait for their first choice. This can cause unnecessary panic in the applicant, which can lead to a wrong decision. Even just waiting because the callback is extremely destructive to the job search. Ultimately, you lose focus and waste valuable time that could be spent looking for other job opportunities.
If you’ve ever suffered from job offer anxiety, fear not. Here are some specific reasons for job offer anxiety and ways to overcome them…
Reason #1 – Forgetting to continue your Job Search
Solution. Apply for another job.
This advice seems obvious, but many people focus so much on the callback that they forget about the ultimate goal: getting a job.
What better way to distract yourself than looking for another job. Continuing your job search allows you to take your mind off the callback and get back to using your time wisely. Sitting around waiting for the perfect job to come back to you isn’t productive and will get you nowhere closer to your goal.
And who knows. As long as you are focused and productive, time will pass much faster and you may finally get that call you’ve been waiting for, and if not, at least expand your job opportunities.
Reason number 2 – anxiety and insomnia
Solution. Gymnastics.
All that stress and anxiety can take a toll on your body and overall health. Those who are WebMD.com I advise people with high anxiety to “relieve tension with vigorous exercise or massage.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America It found that “Regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce overall stress levels, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem.”
When it comes to reducing stress and anxiety, exercise should not be overlooked.
Reason number 3 – lack of perspective
Solution. Realize that HR is in a different time frame than you.
There’s no doubt that time seems to crawl at a snail’s pace when looking for a job. Some people like to believe that hiring managers are sitting at their desks with evil grins, snapping their fingers (think Mr. Burns. The Simpsons), purposefully desperately waiting for candidates.
It’s easy to forget that employers may have responsibilities other than hiring candidates. Hiring managers would love nothing more than to get through all applicants on time. But like every job, things tend to come up unexpectedly that require immediate attention. It’s important to remember this, take a deep breath, and give the hiring manager the benefit of the doubt.
Reason #4 – Not knowing when to follow up
Solution. Use proper follow-up etiquette.
It’s important to remember that the interview isn’t over until you send a follow-up thank you letter. Susan Adams of Forbes advises applicants to send a follow-up letter as soon as possible. If you wait too long, other prospective employees may beat you to it.
Although sending a handwritten note is a nice idea, it takes a long time for an employer to receive it. So email is always the best choice for sending your follow-up thank you letter. It’s also nice to add a bullet point from the interview to your message.
in “4 things you should do after the interview to get the job“Sudi Bharadwaj believes that a periodic follow-up every few weeks is a great way to stay on the hiring manager’s mind. He advises. “Have you made up your mind yet about asking?” forward the last article you read that you think he will find interesting and useful. Following up in this way shows that you’re a great networker, not an annoying co-worker.”
Reason #5 – Lack of confidence in your resume
Solution. Check if you’ve made common resume mistakes and/or have your resume reviewed by trained coaches.
One last way to reduce stress and anxiety during your job search is to make sure your resume is in top shape. Knowing that your resume is up to par can be a huge boost to your confidence.
A great way to get some advice on your resume is to pass it on to your friends and colleagues. They can bring fresh ideas to your resume and suggest changes to improve it.
We hope you’ve found these tips to help you deal with job offer anxiety, no matter where you are in your career. And remember… worry only about the things that are you can control This way you will avoid a lot of stress and anxiety.
We know how difficult it can be to deal with anxiety during your job search. If you are struggling to find a job, we are here for you.
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This article was originally published on an earlier date.
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