You Aren’t Alone in Job Search Loneliness

Everyone experiences a sense of job search loneliness at certain stages.

Some people feel it more than others.

It is understandable. A big part of their life has disappeared, and what comes next is unclear. While they can talk about their choices with those around them, the option is theirs to make and theirs only. When your future is up in the air, the sense of isolation is real.

It is important to remember that this is a normal thing to feel. Looking for a new job can knock your mental equilibrium. You may well feel a little lost until you have properly settled into your new role. Until that has happened (and it will), here are a few ideas of how to deal with the inevitable bouts of job search loneliness.

Face up to job search loneliness

Do a bit of research on mental health. When you understand a little more of the science about what is going on in your head, issues with mental health become slightly easier to process. Learn about loneliness. If you acknowledge it as a kind of disease that does respond to interventions, you empower yourself to do something about it. You are not powerless.

Lose yourself in the natural world. Venturing outside and losing yourself in nature for a while reminds you that you are part of something more. Just taking a walk in the park shows you how everything is interconnected. You have made a difference to countless others in the past, and you will in the future. Say “Hi” to a few strangers as you walk.

Recognise the signs and act on them. A creeping lack of social connection can manifest itself in many ways. You don’t feel like going out anymore; you know the month’s Netflix new releases off by heart, and you live vicariously through others on social media. This can all stem from loneliness, so it may be time to do something to break the destructive cycle.

Share your feelings, but don’t wallow. Sharing your feelings with a friend or maybe a therapist can lighten the load. The real key to dealing with loneliness is to do things that make you feel more connected rather than just talking about it. Waiting for interview invites is a lonely place – allowing others to sympathise will show you that they have been there.

Change focus

Avoid the temptation of comparisons. When you are looking for a new role, you feel like half a person. Social media can be terrible for self-esteem, and when you feel lonely and isolated, all those self-congratulatory posts do not help. Remember that you are on your own journey – you have simply been forced to press the pause button for a while.

Find another focus. Maybe volunteer somewhere. Job search loneliness comes from both a lack of social connection and a lack of purpose, so undertaking a small amount of volunteering work during your job search can bring dual benefits. You will feel that you are making a difference to others, and you will meet a few like-minded and supportive people.

We live in an epidemic of loneliness, and the forced isolation that a job search brings can threaten to turn it into something even worse. If loneliness turns into depression, it can have debilitating long-term effects.

Do something about any job search loneliness before that happens. 

You will be in a new job with some fantastic colleagues before you know it. 

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).