One of the most difficult things to encounter when you’re conducting a job search is the feeling of being constantly rejected. It can feel like you’re sending in tens to hundreds of applications, resumes, and customized cover letters to only get rejected. Over time, it might even feel like you’re just wasting your time because you’re spending all of this time and effort and it’s not paying off.
We’ve all been in the scenario where it can feel a little bit overwhelming and a little disheartening pursuing new job opportunities, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several ways you can remain positive during your job search and ultimately increase your chances of landing a job quicker than you realize.
The good news is that you don’t have to feel down about your job search because we have all been through it at one point or another. In fact, it tends to be one of the most common experiences during a job search. When you’re positive and upbeat about your job search, you will feel more motivated to fill out more job applications, learn new skills, and create a positive impression on your interviewers. We’ve outlined some of the best tips you can use to ensure that you remain positive during a long and difficult job search.null
1. Stay Organized
The first thing that you want to do to ensure that you remain positive throughout your job search is to make every effort possible to stay organized. One of the best ways to ensure that you are organized is to make sure that you have everything you could possibly need when you’re filling out applications, and getting ready to go to interviews. This means that you should have digital copies of your resume and cover letter, in addition to physical copies that you can pass out when you go to an interview.
A good way to make sure that you’re organized on your computer or laptop when you’re filling out applications is to keep those critical documents in a folder that you can easily access or locate when you’re submitting applications. This way you don’t have to spend extra time trying to sort through your files or various folders when you’re trying to complete applications throughout the day.
When you aren’t organized, you can waste valuable time trying to locate the files each time you need to attach them with each application submission. It might not seem like a lot of time, but having to do it multiple times throughout the day adds up. Another thing that you can do to ensure that you’re organized is to make sure that you have your references ready in the event that a potential employer asks for them. You want to ensure that at the bare minimum you want to have the contact details for each reference. This typically includes their name, phone number, email address, and how they are connected to you.
2. Ask For Assistance
The next thing you can do to remain positive throughout your job search is to ask for assistance every now and then. When you’re going through a job search, it can feel like you keep hitting a brick wall. Or perhaps you’ve been successful in the past, but you can’t figure out why you’re struggling this time around. This is common, and sometimes all it takes is a fresh set of eyes or a friend who can observe what you’re doing and offer some critical input or insight.
If you’re feeling like you’re struggling when it comes to filling out jobs and being constantly rejected, ask for someone to take a look at your resume, cover letter, and typical application you submit to see if they have any suggestions for things you should potentially change or modify. If something sounds correct to you, it might not sound the same to someone else.
In addition, you should ask for assistance to see what other strategies your friends or peers have used to remain upbeat throughout their job search. They might offer some different tricks you can use to ensure that you don’t get bogged down feeling like you’re getting constantly rejected.
3. Set Reasonable Goals In Your Job Search
The next thing that you want to do when you’re trying to stay positive during a job search is to set reasonable goals. Reasonable goals will be different for everybody, but it’s important to set goals that you can strive to accomplish each week. When you set your expectations too high or your goals too high and you fail to achieve them, you significantly increase the chances of feeling poorly about your job search. Instead, we’ve outlined an example of one reasonable goal that you should think about when considering which goals you should strive for. One potential goal is to submit four job applications a day.
This is a reasonable goal because it is something that you can accomplish each day, and you can also track it as you’re doing it. You want to select and set goals that you can both track and accomplish to ensure that you hold yourself accountable, and can celebrate each time you accomplish them.
4. Create a Daily Routine
Another fantastic way you can ensure that you stay positive during a job search is to create a daily routine. An easy way to consider the job search as a daily routine is to think of the job search process as your full-time job. When you wake up in the morning, you should wake up with the mindset that you’re going to work. This form of work involves submitting applications and attempting to network with other professionals. A daily routine is a great way to hold yourself accountable when it comes to submitting applications and applying for jobs.
In addition, a daily routine is a great way for you to stay focused and motivated and remain positive throughout your daily job search. As we mentioned earlier, you want to set reasonable goals that you can accomplish each day or weekly. When you hold yourself to a daily routine, you can achieve those reasonable goals with regularity and increase the positive.
5. Engage In Networking Activities Or Events
The important thing to remember when you’re conducting a job search is that it often takes a combination of different effort to find a new job opportunity. One way that many individuals can find support and remain positive throughout their job search is by attending networking events. Networking events are a great way for any professional to find assistance in some of the more difficult parts of the job search process like remaining positive in the face of getting frequently declined.
One way that you can remain positive is to listen to the stories of success that others have had and gather ideas and inspiration from what they have done. It doesn’t matter whether you’re applying for marketing jobs or healthcare jobs, you can gain valuable advice to use and remain positive during your job search. For instance, you might learn a new way to reach out to recruiters or employers to express interest in a position that they have recently posted. Not to mention when you’re interacting with others at these networking events, you can take solace in the fact that your story isn’t the only one of it’s kind. Others will frequently share their own personal struggles when trying to find a job and offer some advice that you can use and implement in your own job search.
Seeking the assistance of others and using the feedback that others highlight is a great way to continually grow and stay positive throughout the job search process.
Conclusion
It can seem difficult staying positive when you’re in the middle of a lengthy job search, but it doesn’t have to be. Staying organized, engaging in network activities, setting reasonable goals, keeping a consistent daily routine, and asking for assistance is a great way to boost your spirits to maintain a positive attitude and continually improve your prospects of landing a job soon.