A few weeks back, I decided to take a quick break from studying for tech interviews. After all, there’s only so much time one can spend grinding Leetcode in one day.
That did get me thinking though. A quick scan of the internet reveal’s the many books, articles and blogs written about the job hunt. These pieces range from best practices during interviews (be enthusiastic and honest) to optimizing your LinkedIn profile (optimizing keywords). There’s also many articles on how the process isn’t great (I will cover this in a future post).
On the other hand, there isn’t as much on taking care of oneself while interviewing. I figured there has to be ways to handle the overwhelm and do this is in a way that’s reduces stress, anxiety and worries? I asked around for tips and listened to a few talks and these are a few things that I’ve been practicing:
- People: I have an accountability buddy (or two) whom I update once a week. I appreciate the tips, support or confidence they have in me. In turn, this keep me motivated, and I also have someone to chat to and feel less alone.
- Pace yourself: Before starting the job hunt, I made a list of all the things I needed to accomplish (study questions, rewrite resume etc.). I realized as overwhelming as the tasks felt, I didn’t have to accomplish them all in one sitting. Instead, I use a notebook to make a list of top three priorities per day, based on priority. I then break the work down into chunks and go from there.
- Fun stuff: Fun stuff: I also keep a list of fun things that I can do after getting the tasks done. It gives me something to look forward too. Some activities on my list include: plans with friends, going for a walk, podcasts, or lastly, sitting in my garden (hence the title).
- Deep breaths: I get anxious before getting on calls with strangers. A tip I learned was to take a breath in for 5, breathe out for 5 until I felt calm.
- Finally, rejection doesn’t define me and I take the process as a learning experience. I try to keep other companies in the pipeline so that if one doesn’t work out, I can focus on the next opportunity.
Interviews are tough, but I remind myself that they are doable as well. As the quote goes “the cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek” Joseph Campbell