Looking for work is stressful. Depending on your particular circumstances, searching for a rewarding and challenging job can be exciting, or it can be downright awful. Throw a global pandemic into the mix, and we're in unchartered territory. I've recently been through it, and let me tell you, nothing prepared me for the exhausting emotional whirlwind of highs and lows I experienced over the course of my nine-month job search.

That's right. It took me nine months to find a great opportunity with a top-tier employer. During that time, I applied to 449 jobs, had 39 interviews, two de-humanizing pre-recorded video interviews, completed three personality tests, prepared five presentations for hiring managers, and turned down two jobs that weren't right for me before finally landing the right role.