How to Stay Positive & Motivated During Your Job Search

It’s no secret that job searching can be difficult. It can be frustrating, discouraging, and downright demoralizing at times.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed and to feel like you’re not making any progress. But don’t give up!

There are ways to stay motivated during your job search and to continue working towards your goal of finding a new job.

Best ways to stay motivated during your job search:

• Create a job search schedule and stick to it
• Set specific goals during your job search
• Celebrate the small wins throughout your job hunt
• Prioritize your health during your job search
• Get out and socialize throughout your job hunt
• Unplug from social media during your job hunt
• Use extra time up-skilling during your job search
• Work with a recruiter to help with your job search
• Surround yourself with support during your job search
• Remember why you’re job hunting in the first place

How to stay motivated during your job hunt

1. Create a job search schedule and stick to it

Choose specific days and times when you will work on your job search and then stick to that schedule as much as possible.

This will help you to stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the process.

2. Set specific goals during your job search

It can be helpful to set specific goals during your job search, such as applying for a certain number of jobs per week or networking with a certain number of people.

Having these goals will help you to track your progress and to feel good about the steps you’re taking toward finding a new job.

3. Celebrate the small wins throughout your job hunt

It’s important to celebrate the small wins throughout your job search, such as finally finishing your resume or landing an interview.

These accomplishments can help to keep you motivated and remind you that you are making progress.

4. Prioritize your health during your job search

Prioritizing your health during your job search can sometimes get lost in the mix which is why it’s so important to remember.

Make sure to exercise, eat healthily, and get enough sleep. Job searching can be stressful, so it’s important to take care of yourself both mentally and physically.

5. Get out and socialize throughout your job hunt

It can be easy to become isolated during your job search, but it’s important to get out and socialize.

Attend networking events, meetups, or even just go out for coffee with friends.

This will help you to stay connected and engaged while also providing some much-needed relief from the job search process.

6. Unplug from social media during your job hunt

Spending too much time on social media can be a huge time-suck and it can also make you feel worse about your job search.

If you find yourself scrolling through TikTok or Instagram and comparing your life and success to that of others, it’s time to take a break.

7. Use extra time up-skilling during your job search

If you find yourself with some extra time during your job search, use it to up-skill.

This can include taking online courses, learning new programming languages, or reading books on topics that interest you.

Not only will this help to make you more marketable, but it will also help to keep your mind active and engaged.

8. Work with a recruiter to help with your job search

If you’re really struggling to stay motivated during your job search, working with a recruiter can be a great option.

They can help to take some of the burden off of you and can also provide useful insights and resources.

9. Surround yourself with support during your job search

This can include family, friends, or even a professional career coach.

Having people to talk to and lean on will help you to stay motivated and focused while also providing some much-needed encouragement.

10. Remember why you’re job hunting in the first place

Finally, remember why you’re job hunting in the first place.

What are your goals? What do you want to achieve? Keeping these things in mind will help to keep you motivated and focused on your ultimate goal.

While job hunting can be a difficult and frustrating process, it’s important to remember that it won’t last forever.

Why is searching for a job so hard?

1. Not knowing where to start in your job search

If you’re just starting your job search, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

There are so many resources and options available that it can be tough to figure out what’s the best use of your time.

The best way to start is by taking some time to research different job search strategies and then choosing a few that you think will work best for you.

2. Long-term unemployment through your job hunt

If you’ve been unemployed for a while, it’s easy to start feeling the pressure of a job hunt. The longer you’re unemployed, the more you may start to doubt your value and abilities.

This is just one of many reasons why staying motivated throughout is so important.

3. Resumes being filtered out by ATS software

Another common challenge job seekers face is that their resumes are being filtered out by applicant tracking systems (ATS).

These computer programs are designed to screen resumes and sort them based on specific keywords.

This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you know you’re a qualified candidate, but do your best to not let it get to you!

4. Not hearing back from employers during your job search

Unfortunately, it’s also very common not to hear back from employers after applying for a job.

This can be due to the high volume of applications they receive or simply because your resume wasn’t a good fit for the position.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to not take it personally and to keep moving forward in your job search.

Staying motivated during your job search

While searching for a job can become frustrating and take longer than we’d like, it’s important to remember that it takes patience, perseverance, and dedication.

Just remember to stick to a schedule, set goals, celebrate small wins, prioritize your health, and remember that when you finally do find that dream job where you can feel a sense of fulfillment in your work, it’ll all be worth it.

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• Cliche Interview Answers to Avoid & What to Say Instead
• Pandemic-Related Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
• 7 Things to Never Say to a Recruiter When Looking for a Job
• The 9 Workplace Soft Skills Most Valued By Employers
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