The dreary cold winter months seem to go on forever. You sit at your desk and try to pull your robe closer, hoping to feel a little warmer. You realize that it is not the cold that is bothering you! But the frustration of applying for yet another job! It all seems to be catching up to you. The past few months of endless job applications, waiting for a response, checking email a million times a minute to see if you got a response, holding on to the phone tight in the hopes of not missing that one elusive call for an interview, the ‘dressing up’ for an interview and the drive back home hopeful of getting a call back. Sounds familiar? way too familiar? Is that a picture of you that I painted?
I’ve been there too. The days of waiting and trudging along waiting. Like my friend Kelly mentioned, its a ‘season of life’. A new season will arrive soon. And my favorite saying that I always resort to in times of desperation, “This Too Shall Pass“! How can you stay positive and motivated as the days seem to wear on long during ‘this job hunt season’?
Here are 5 tips to help you stay motivated during your job search season.
- Stay Organized: let’s face it- job search can be an arduous process and what can make it more frustrating is not knowing when you applied to what job, who you spoke to, when to follow up and other details, basically not having a job search tracking mechanism in place. This simple job search tool(resource 3 on the page) can take the pain out of this process and help you stay on track of the jobs you applied to. It also can help you take action on a daily basis as you determine who to follow up with and to look for other opportunities or contacts in the firms you applied for.
- Stay Connected: There are 2 aspects to this – personal connections and professional connections. Personally, you may want to shy away from your friends and family who may ask you about your job search progress every time you meet them. You dislike having to tell them that you are STILL in the game. A simple tip to tackle this – is to politely let them know that you appreciate their concerns and that you will keep them informed about any progress. But the important thing is to stay connected with these people. Don’t shut your friends and family out of your life during these taxing times. Their moral support and company is critical to your overall well-being. On the professional front, it is important to network with other professionals. Check out meetup.com to find relevant networking groups and go mingle. You never know who you may bump into there – maybe someone who can give you a job or someone who can connect you with the right person! Keep your mind open and remember you have nothing to lose!
- Stay Positive: This is a tough one. Most of us get beat on this more than other aspects. Not making it through an interview and not getting callbacks can begin to weigh us down and our confidence takes a beating. We may begin to let this seep into other areas of our lives and let it affect our physical well-being and our relationships. There is no dearth of positive and inspiring messages from various books, podcasts and social media. Indulge in those messages and let it truly sink in.
- Stay Busy: Job Hunt season is a perfect time to do those things you have always wanted to but never had a chance to get around to! “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop”, they say and how apt in this situation. When not working on job hunt related activities, find other ways to stay busy.
- You can volunteer at places and meet new people and stay busy.
- You can take a temp part-time job.
- You can start a hobby (not an expensive one preferably!) – learn to cook your own meals, start a blog, start a book club etc
- You can brush up and even pick up some new skill sets!! What better time to learn to code or learn to speak better or other skilled courses than when you have time on hand! Check out coursera.com, lynda.com, udemy.com and other platforms for free or deeply discounted skilled courses.
And last but not least, SEEK HELP – Career coaches can help you stay focused on your job search and give you specific tips to help you apply strategically. Want to know more about how I can help you? I’m just an email away, reach out to me today: gia@giaganesh.com.
Remember, this situation is temporary and you will arrive at greener pastures soon!
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