July 17, 2023
The job market has remained fairly resilient despite inflation and efforts to curb it, so it is only natural that people who are dissatisfied with their current place of employment would be looking around for something else. After all, there are plenty of other fish in this sea, so why not just cast a wide net and see if you can snag an alternative to this terrible situation you’re in now?
Employment experts call that “rage applying” but they don’t recommend it. Applying for every vacant position you see (and these days, respiratory therapists see lots of them) without first taking the time to 1) assess what’s really wrong at the place you’re at now, and 2) making sure you won’t be jumping into a similar situation at a new job, is akin to leaping before you look.
Here are three things you can do instead of rage applying to make sure your current job is really not for you, and your new one will be —
- Make a list of the things you don’t like about your current job and why: People who rage apply often do so in a sort of knee-jerk fashion — someone or something ticks them off and they immediately turn to the want ads online and fire off applications for every RT position available. Take a day or so to sit with your thoughts instead and then write down everything that is making you want to leave so you can clearly understand your own motivations.
- Schedule a meeting with your current manager: Once you have your list of grievances, ask your manager for a one-on-one meeting. You know what’s bothering you, but your manager is likely clueless. So give them an opportunity to address your issues and make things better. If you approach your manager in a calm and collected manner and carefully explain what you need that you’re not getting, chances are they will take at least some steps to resolve your issues, because in this job market, they want to keep as many people on staff as they can.
- If you do go on to apply, do it thoughtfully: If carefully assessing your current situation and meeting with your manager doesn’t elicit the changes you think need to be made at work, then it’s fine to turn your attention back to the job market. But be selective. Make a list of your must-haves in a new job and only apply only to the positions that you think will really give you what you are seeking. Then customize your resume, your cover letter, and your application to make sure it fits the job description at hand. The last thing you want is to land another job that is just as bad as the one you are trying to leave.
All jobs have their good sides and their bad sides, and jumping into another one just because you don’t like the one have now isn’t going to solve your problems. If you really are ready to move on, put in the work that’s needed to ensure that your next position will be one that will make thoughts of rage applying a thing of your past.
