How To Stay Motivated During Your Job Search
Being on the hunt for a job can often be daunting, tiring, and discouraging, but with the right skills and sources of motivation, you’ll be able to feel like you’re accomplishing career advancement with every day that you get through. The key to staying motivated while job searching is to believe that every effort you put in to filling out a new job application or writing a new cover letter is one step closer to your next dream job - because it is.
Rather than worrying about getting a job, try to focus on all the baby steps you’re taking to find your next job. Everything from getting organized to establish a routine to praising yourself for your efforts, these job searching tips will help you to stay focused and inspired to find the job you really want.
Enhance Your Skills as Much as You Can
One thing that can be incredibly frustrating about a job search is that so much of the results you want to see depend on someone else. Hearing back from an employer, waiting for a call, anticipating another email - these are all things that are not in your control. Waiting can be difficult, however, when you begin to focus on the things you can control during your job hunt, you’ll feel more accomplished with each passing day.
Start with your resume. Your resume is the one thing you can control! It is the first impression that you leave on a future employer.
Use your resume to show your personality. Include color or even subtle designs that call attention to the eye. This not only will help you stand out, but it’ll make you feel like you have invested in something you care about. Rather than a simple list of bullet points, putting in color or even artwork or your favorite font onto your document can go a long way and help you feel confident about your resume.
Invest in courses that can improve your skill sets. No matter what field you’re in or what kind of job you’re looking for, there is always room for you to improve. Making yourself look as qualified as possible will help employers understand that your skillset is valuable.
If you’re pursuing a creative career, consider finding free online courses that encourage learning in design or art or learning from professionals. If you’re hoping to be an independent contractor or start working as a freelancer to achieve job schedule flexibility, try getting licensed as a contractor to show your dedication. Even watching YouTube videos about your industry will enhance your knowledge and make you more qualified for the position you’re applying for.
Make sure your web presence is accessible and appropriate. In the digital age where many employers use the internet to find and hire new employees, access to things like social media, online portfolio, and even customer or client reviews online can help improve your chances of getting hired.
Spending some time in making sure your social media platforms reflect who you are is a great way to make yourself memorable. Between your resume and your online presence, employers will get to know you better, even before the interview.
Establish a Job Searching Routine
When it comes to doing what you can to present yourself as a qualified candidate, we know there is only so much you can do, and after a while, your job search may begin to feel hopeless. You can find a way to establish a routine, however, you may lower your chances of feeling like your effort is not being returned.
Get comfortable. Right now, your actual job is to find a job, so you need to make sure you have space and time to do so. Choose a desk that you love to sit at. If you enjoy sitting in your living room rather than your bedroom, that’s where you should be spending time on your job search. If you know you are more focused around people and background noise, choosing a coffee shop to visit daily or weekly may also help. If you’re not comfortable in the environment you’re working in, it can be much harder to stay motivated.
Create a schedule for yourself. It’s so easy to give up on a job search after a few weeks, and simply say, “I’ll just wait for someone to get back to me.” However, the more you are active in your search, the more you increase your chances of finding a job.
Creating a schedule for yourself will help you to stay focused on applying for new positions every day. If you know you are good at working in between time frames, set aside a few hours at the same time each day to get your body and mind conditioned to working at those times. If you are better at achieving quantitative goals, pick a number, and dedicate yourself to completing that many job applications in a day.
Establishing a schedule will help you to avoid the slump of taking a day off that might turn into weeks of doing nothing.
Don’t forget to rest! While having a routine is important, Saturdays and Sundays are also important. Staying well-rested is a major factor in staying motivated. If you’re tired or low on sleep, you shouldn’t force yourself to continue your job search. Not only will you feel disheartened but the letter or emails you write may not reflect the skills you have if you were at your regular level of energy. Staying active in your search is important, but self-care and proper rest is too.
Find Inspiration to Combat Feelings of Discouragement
Play music, watch movies, read stories. While being out of work is never a good thing, your time at home will give you the freedom to do multiple things at once. It’s important to stay focused and detail-oriented, especially when applying to multiple online jobs.
You always want to make sure your information is accurate, however, allowing yourself to stay inspired during your job search can bring a little life to your routine. Playing music while you work during the day can help you to stay interested or feel happier about the work you’re putting into advancing your career.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to also hear success stories and inspirational quotes from other people that are evidence that mundane phases in life are only temporary.
Keep in Mind Your Vision For Your Future
Envision what you’ll do when you are earning income again and what you hope to become or learn from the job position to get. Remembering what you need to grow as a person and professional will remind you why you’re searching for what you’re searching for in the first place. Don’t give up! There’s a position out there for everyone.