The 5 Best Ways to Stay Motivated During a Job Search

Are you disappointed with the progress of your job search? Unemployment can make your spirits plummet. You’ve heard the comparisons: Resumes are a way to market yourself. Successful resumes reveal why you are the ideal candidate. Andrew Reiffenberger, a recruiting director, stated, “Your resume is you. It’s you on a page.” No wonder you feel down when you don’t get responses to your inquiries. It’s hard not to feel personally rejected.

How can you maintain high spirits? Here are the five best ways to keep your motivation during a job search.

1Control Your Goals

Writing your goals improves your chances of accomplishing them, according to research conducted at Dominican University. Getting a job offer this week sounds great; however, it is not a motivating goal. Why doesn’t it qualify? You have no control over whether a company will offer you a position. Even if you perform well on an interview during the week, you can’t control whether the hiring manager decides to hire you or not.

Motivating goals are measurable goals that depend on you—and no one but you. For example, here are three goals that you can control: Attend one networking event per month. Create a list of ten target companies by the end of the day. Identify and contact at least one reference from each previous job listed on your resume. Setting goals like these, and achieving them, will give you the sense of forward movement that is essential to stay motivated during a job hunt.

2Maintain a Reasonable Schedule

Lazing about the house all day in your pajamas probably won’t help you land a new job, and neither will scouring job postings for hours on end. In fact, both radical courses of action will do more harm than good. In other words, you’ll be in no state to shine when you do get a promising interview if you fall to either extreme. Balance is needed. Set your alarm so you don’t snooze away the day. (However, it’s okay to enjoy an extra hour or two of sleep during your first week off work. Your body may be catching up on some lost shut-eye.) Schedule a couple of days, or an hour each day, to concentrate on your search. Give thought to how you will structure your activities. For instance, you might update your CV and contact your references before you spend time searching for jobs online. That way, when you find an intriguing prospect, you’ll be ready to apply right away.

3Take Care of the Product

If a resume is to sell you, you have to make sure that you keep the product (i.e., you) in prime condition. Isn’t it true that you avoid wilted greens and dented containers when you go grocery shopping? In the same way, you need to make sure that you remain marketable to potential employers. Renew certifications and licenses as necessary. Stay on top of industry news and innovations. Remember to care for your physical health too. Get some sun every day. Eat a healthy diet. Follow an exercise regimen and get sufficient rest. If you do, you can be confident that you’re presenting your best self to the world.

4Explore Your Options

Do you have more free time now that you are not working? Is there something that you’ve always dreamed of doing? Gloria Steinem once said, ” Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Once you have an idea of what you want to do, pursue it! Explore different career paths by reading about them and talking to people who work in the field. Leisure activities and interests also qualify as worthy pursuits. Why not find a club that centers on your hobby? Consider taking a class. With a little investigation, you might find plenty of options to study for little or no cost.

5Surround Yourself with Positivity

Negativity is contagious. If you associate with negative people, their bad vibes will rub off on your attitude. Think about the people who surround you. Who is the most encouraging? Maximize your time with the ones who make you feel the best. And don’t forget, your friends don’t all have to be the flesh-and-blood variety. By joining an online forum like Unemploymentville, you can network, get advice, or simply find a listening ear among people who are sharing the same experience. You might also find encouragement, along with helpful hints, in motivational blogs and podcasts.

Don’t let the progress of your job search run you into the ground. Your ideal job could be just around the corner. While you continue to look for a suitable job opening, maintain high spirits by implementing these five tips. If you do, you’ll remember your period of unemployment with more fondness than you thought possible.

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