"3,2,1, iRelaunch" Managing Through a Prolonged Job Search Mini-Series

We contacted Chris after reading his powerful and compelling article in Medium about his father’s depression during a prolonged period of unemployment, and the risks of ignoring mental health issues during the job search. We see signs of depression and anxiety in our own community of relaunchers; when people post in our private Facebook groups, when they write to us, and when we meet them face to face at our conferences and events. Carol explores this critically important topic in her conversation with Chris, who co-founded Project Tugboat, “which empowers professionals to overcome the social and emotional challenges of unemployment.”

Carol welcomes Matthew Temple, Senior Director of Alumni Career & Professional Development at the Kellogg School of Management and an iRelaunch Advisory Board member. Carol and Matthew talk about building and maintaining resilience when job searching in a downturn; how to best use your time while at home; tips on video interviewing and other elements of the remote job search and more.

Letitia Shen is a Hazardous Substances Engineer at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, a role she got after a career break of over 20 years. She has been an active member of our largest private Facebook group, the iRelaunch Return to Work Forum. Letitia tells us how to navigate a state employment process, and the wide range of opportunities within state environmental agencies – including related to cannabis production, food safety, enforcement, schools, and others in addition to hazardous waste. She also discusses the resilience involved in engaging in more than 30 interviews, how she met the person who was most helpful to her job search (spoiler – it had to do with a church event), and how she was rejected for the job she has now.

Amy Miller is a PR and communications expert who wrote to us a few months ago after relaunching her career following an eight year career break and a three year effort to relaunch. Despite doing all of the recommended steps to find a new job, she only got a couple of phone interviews and got to the point where she became so demoralized that she had to stop because she was becoming depressed. Things changed when Amy took a break from her job search, updated her skills, and made the decision to go into business for herself -- a decision which led to a new job opportunity. She shares how she has progressed in her new role and discusses the importance of trusting your gut when relaunching.

Steve Deeble is a Senior Technical Writer at Gurucul, a global cybersecurity company protecting data and information from insider threats and external cyberattacks. He has taken career breaks to care for his father following a stroke, and to transition back to a technical career after 12 years as a video producer. He found himself competing with younger professionals and had to fight the perception he was technologically obsolete. Steve recounts the mental and emotional journey of his prolonged job search, the role of freelancing and contract work along the way, and how he ultimately took the steps that kickstarted his relaunch and led to relaunch success.