DP is full-time job-seeking: how to support him?

[zizzo]

Hi all

DP has just given up his temporary job in order to seek work full-time in his professional field. I won't name the field to avoid outing, but it's an incredibly competitive one and every application is very time-consuming.

DP tried over the summer to devote his time mainly to applications but it wasn't working well for him. Just like me, if he doesn't have a structure or clear goal in his day he gets depressed, very sleepy and unmotivated. I'm lucky in that I currently have a full-time job which I enjoy but I am worried DP will fall back into his old patterns of sleeping, gaming, panicking over applications and then getting stressed out, as he has done before when he is alone in the house all day, day after day.

He has no hobbies outdoors as such and few friends that he keeps in contact with. I've tried to encourage him to get out and about more but he's very reserved and this doesn't come naturally to him.

I've made him a plan (please don't see this as controlling - I got his permission first and he likes lists) for the next week so he can split household tasks with applications and down-time so his days are a bit more balanced. I always check through his applications and do proofreading/editing where necessary.

Beyond that I don't know how to support him. His field is a completely different one to mine and I don't know much about it. Any tips from anyone who has been through something similar?

I don't think there's any more you can do, he's an adult after all.

Would part time work mix with job hunting? Then he'll have a better balance of work and leisure.

How long does each application take and how many is he thinking of doing? Would it be reasonable to aim for one application done, finished and posted per day? That would give him a sense of achievement.

Are there any (free) seminars or professional meetings in his field that he could attend? This would give him networking opportunities, ideas of where to apply to, etc, as well as keeping him in touch professionally.

Additional reading to keep updated?

Those are great ideas, many thanks! I hadn't thought about the seminars/meetings. Of course there will be careers fairs held by local Colleges/Universities as well - he could still pass for a student so I'll encourage him to gatecrash those.

Each application takes him the best part of a day to get done. Maybe one every two days would be a reasonable target as he has house jobs to do as well. I did suggest he ring up or contact other professionals in the field on LinkedIn for tips but he hates doing networking and is terrified of it. The frustrating thing is he's really good with people once he gets going, he just finds the whole idea of asking for tip-offs as abhorrent.

I'll suggest he looks for opportunities in the area to meet people and attend some lectures/meetings to keep his training fresh.