The Pain of Doing Everything ‘Right’ With No Progress

If you're in the middle of a long, frustrating job search with no end in sight, I want you to know: I see you. I’ve been thinking a lot about what it’s like to keep doing everything “right” and still feel stuck — and while my experience isn’t exactly the same, my recent injury has helped me understand some of what that powerlessness feels like.

I injured myself water skiing in middle of June. Initially it was just a small strain, but I was too quick to try and get back to exercise and here I am now 3 months later still recovering with no clear timeline or clarity as to when I’ll be able to walk more than 5 minutes or exercise again.

I’ll be honest that this has been one of the hardest things I have been through so far and it continues to be a challenge since I still don’t have a clear recovery timeline. As I have been going through this process, I have been thinking a lot about people going through the job search right now. While the experiences are not the same at all, I can’t help but think about some of the ways they are the same.

My whole life and routine has shifted because of this injury. Pre-injury, I was an avid exerciser (working out in some form every day whether it was walking, weightlifting and running) and now I am limited to only walking maybe 5 minutes around my house. I’ve had to rely on my fiancé (now husband) to cook and clean; I’ve scaled back significantly on my social commitments and also had to pair back on my coaching to give myself space to heal, especially in the weeks leading up to the wedding. I know many of you who have lost your jobs have had your world turned upside down, whether it be financially or in other ways and are probably having to make many adjustments and changes all at once which can be tough.

When I was first injured, the physical therapist thought I would be fully healed in 4-6 weeks (definitely in time for my wedding 2 months later) and now I am way beyond that. I’ve had periods of improvement filled with multiple setbacks. As I’ve been on the couch icing my leg and resting, I’ve thought often about the people who continue to apply endlessly for months with peaks of hope but still no interviews or new role.

Just like many job seekers are carefully updating resumes, applying consistently, and showing up for interviews — only to be met with silence — I’ve been diligently following every piece of medical advice... and still, I’m stuck in limbo. That feeling of doing everything right and getting nowhere is deeply discouraging.

As I have talked to people navigating this job search, I’ve heard a lot of despair and loss of hope at times. It’s hard to have the motivation to keep going when you feel like no matter what you try there is no response or pay off for all of your efforts. At times I’ve felt the same with my injury, especially during days of significant pain.

Some of the things that are helping me right now are:

1)      Focus on what I can control- this one has been hard for me. I like routine and control so accepting that I can’t control my injury and how quickly my body is recovering has been hard. The things within my control are continuing to rest, not overdo the walking and be diligent about my PT exercises.

For you, job seekers, in addition to applying to jobs endlessly, what else is under your control? Can you set up virtual catch-ups with old co-workers and continue to network? What else?

2)      Focus on what I am grateful for- I recognize that my injury doesn’t compare to a lot of things that many other people are dealing with and I have a lot to be grateful for still. I am heavily relying on my gratitude practice and the things I have in my life, not what I don’t. It is not always easy on hard days but is an important part of staying positive.

What are the things in your life that you can be grateful for in this moment?

3)      Trying to find the silver linings- one of the benefits of my injury on our honeymoon was because of my injury we were able to skip the lines to many things.  While it was not ideal to use a scooter throughout my trip, we tried to make the best of it and find the benefits in having it.

For you, job seekers, is there a silver you can find? More time with family? Time to consider a career change or go back to school?

4)      Leaning on community- I’ve found that during this time, having friends and family to be able to support me and help me during rough days has been key. I’ve also been talking to my therapist about it all and she’s helped me try and focus on what I can control.

For job seekers, don’t forget that your friends and family want to support you and there may be others who want to support you as well. It’s not always easy to ask for help but having a community around you of people who can either relate to what you are going through or who are willing to be a listening ear can make all the difference.

If you're struggling right now to stay positive in your job search, please know that you're not alone — and you're not failing. Just like healing from an injury, job searching can feel frustrating, slow, and full of setbacks… even when you’re doing everything “right.”

But sometimes, progress means doing something different — not just doing more of the same.

So today, I invite you to choose one small thing to focus on that’s within your control. Maybe it’s sending one networking message. Or maybe it’s just reminding yourself that you are not your job status.

This hard phase will pass. My leg will heal — and you will work again.

All my best,

Jackie