Job hunting is not easy. Whether you are looking for part-time or full-time work. Whether you are employed and want to switch jobs or have been laid off and unemployed. The job search is a tough time in your life to keep a positive attitude.
Sending out cover letters and resumes over and over is exhausting. Filling out paper applications or online forms is tedious and tiring. Preparing for job interviews and then hearing nothing afterward is frustrating. Getting rejection letters and emails can really bring you down.
You don’t want to have a bad attitude when you meet your potential employer. You don’t want to complain to the new people you meet in the middle of a job search. You also don’t want to bring your negative energy into the coffee shop when you show up for a networking meeting. You need to find ideas on how to fight job search frustration.
Let’s talk about little things you can add to your daily routine to keep a positive outlook while you look for that awesome new job!
1. Accept yourself.
This is where you are and who you are. Accept it. Be proud of it. Don’t beat yourself up for what you haven’t done yet. This is your starting point. We will work to make the best of it. Think of me as your career coach. Now we work for your future.
2. Believe you are a rock star.
Own what you have accomplished so far. Even if it’s just getting out of bed and going to school. Even if your GPA isn’t as high as you wish it was. Even if you have student debt. You are a rock star leading your own band in life!
Everyone has stressors and we all think negative thoughts sometimes. It may be a difficult task, but start telling yourself that you are a rock star! That you are the best person for the job. Repeat it to yourself. Hopefully, this will eventually give you a boost of confidence.
3. Make a plan.
Your first step is finding this blog! Follow my nerdy tips and you are on your way! Many job seekers will wing it and get frustrated. Making a plan will give you some relief. Set smaller, achievable goals. Make your job hunt to-do list. Write it down so you can feel satisfied when crossing them out!
4. Get organized.
You will feel much more optimistic when you tackle the first big tasks. Write your resume and a basic cover letter. Fill in your LinkedIn profile. Once these are ready to go you will feel ready for the bigger steps. To start applying for jobs and reaching out to people on LinkedIn.
5. Take a small step most days.
Depending on your current situation with school or a full-time job, you may not have a lot of energy every day to put towards job searching. That’s ok. There will be days when doing just one little thing in your search will help your frame of mind.
Try tackling smaller tasks. Send one LinkedIn request to someone from the list of companies you want to target. Research one new interview question and answer. Find one new job opening you are interested in and save it on LinkedIn. Take the small wins.
6. Give yourself a break.
Job searching can consume you. Plan time to take a break and relax. Netflix and chill.
Take a nap. Listen to your favorite music. Get to the gym or engage in some other physical activity. A walk, a hike, or ride your bike.
Don’t believe everything you see on social media. Very few people post about their sad or tough days. Maybe even take a break from the endless scrolling. Everyone deals with stress and mental health issues and challenges. Cut yourself some slack.
7. Practice gratitude.
This is a good lesson from Oprah. She talks about having kept a gratitude journal for years. At the end of each day, write down five things you are grateful for. And be specific. Here are a few ideas:
Admiring my dog’s sleeping face with his tongue hanging out.
Burning a stick of my favorite incense.
Looking at the carpet right after I vacuumed.
Making french toast for breakfast.
I think you will feel a body shift after doing this. If you are feeling anxiety over the job market or worrying about finding the right job opening, take a minute. Find the parts of your life you can be grateful for. Think about the good things that happened today.
8. Use positive affirmations.
This may sound a little woo-woo to some people. But I am telling you it works. Kind of like the gratitude journal. It helps to rewire your brain to think more positive thoughts. Twitter is a great resource for positive affirmations if you follow hashtags like #motivation, #positiveaffirmations, or #mentalhealthmatters
Here is a great quote I found by searching Twitter for #motivation:
“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.” Robert Tew
Here is another one:
“Sometimes what you’re most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.”
I also use a boxed set of Power Thought Cards from Louise Hay. Each card is beautifully designed and has a positive affirmation on the front and a visualization on the back. When I am feeling down or like I need help gaining that forward momentum, I read through a few of her cards before I go to sleep.
9. Use affirmations in your passwords.
Consider changing your passwords to include a phrase with an affirmation. So that every time you type the password, you are giving yourself that positive energy and support.
NewJobIsComing!123
Ima*RockStar!2022
YouCanDoIt^$99k
10. Practice your interview answers.
Check out my blog post on how to prepare for a job interview. One of my suggestions is to research interview questions and write down your answers. Write them down!
One of the causes of a bad attitude during a job search is the lack of confidence that you can get a job or that you will blow the interview. My solution for this is to be better prepared. So, if you find yourself having negative self-talk, counter those thoughts by practicing your interview answers.
Go through a list of your achievements. Say them out loud! Own it!
11. Spend time with positive people.
Make a special effort to spend time with friends or family members who make you feel good or who make you laugh! Reach out to a grandparent you haven’t seen in a while. They will love getting a call from you! That conversation may feed your soul just enough to snap out of the job search funk.
12. Do the thing that sparks your joy.
Find an old coloring book and crayons and color a picture of a race car or flower! That might spark the joy of your inner child! Bake some cookies. Weed the garden. Play cards, UNO, or Yahtzee! Hit a museum or botanical garden. If you’re like Monica on Friends, maybe cleaning the kitchen will do the trick!
13. Listen to a podcast.
Pop in your EarPods and listen to an episode of your favorite podcast while you bake cookies! Sometimes your mind just needs a distraction to get out of the negative thinking patterns. Something like MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast or the many options from Bachelor Nation! (I am not embarrassed to admit I enjoy a lot of reality TV!)
You can also search for podcasts from experts in your desired career. This is a great way to learn new skills, terminology, or ideas. These are the kinds of things you can work into an interview answer when they ask you about an area where you don’t lack experience.
“While I don’t have experience in marketing yet, I have really been enjoying Neil Patel’s podcast ‘Marketing School’ and I would love your opinion on things he has talked about and how I might learn more in this internship.”
14. Journal your concerns.
When I am really stressed about something, I journal my worries. Write them down, get them out of your head. These thoughts can bombard my mind at night and keep me from falling asleep. So, I grab my journal and write them down.
When I am focused and awake, I go back to my worries and make a plan. Figure out how I can take the steps to alleviate my worries.
If your thoughts spiral in the direction of “I’m not good enough” or “What if..” try to pivot. Instead of feeding your negative thoughts, write down the positive affirmations. “I am a rock star and anyone would be lucky to hire me!” Even if you don’t believe it yet.
15. Read an inspirational book.
Or just read a chapter for now. Sometimes you just need to reset your brain to move out of the negativity.
Stories of resilience can do the trick. Like Harry Potter or the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. The Life of Pi is another good one.
If you want to try non-fiction, here are a few of my favorites: Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. And The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills.
You might even go to the library to sit and read for a bit. Sometimes a change of location can help do the trick.
Personally, one of my favorite things to do on a day off is to lose myself in a good book. I love spy thrillers! Even those can have real-life applications in problem-solving!
16. Embrace the uncertainty.
This one may feel uncomfortable, I get it! Try to feel the excitement of the unknown but also the potential of what is coming! Of the possibilities, new opportunities, and future professional achievements. The idea is to focus on the optimism of what the future will bring.
17. Take a breath.
Actually, take a deep breath right now. Sometimes when I am really stressed or thinking negative thoughts, I hold my breath! That’s a great skill for when I am swimming laps but not for managing stress.
Take a deep breath and blow the air out. This tip doesn’t take much time. Think of it as a metaphor for releasing the gunk. The fear or anxiety. In yoga, they talk about releasing that which does not serve you.
Or in the words of Frozen, let it go!
18. Do your best.
This is one of the four agreements in the book I mentioned above. Your best is never going to be exactly the same from day to day or even moment to moment. Sometimes your best today is less than it was yesterday. That’s ok.
Maybe you were caring for your infant brother while your mom worked an overnight shift.
Maybe there was an accident on the highway and it took you two hours to get to school or work.
Maybe you had a great workout and you are on fire and super motivated!
Maybe you are just in a great mood today!
Hopefully, these ideas will help you dig deep and find your job search motivation when you need it. I know it’s hard. That’s why I see so many adults staying in jobs where they are unhappy because the actual job search is really hard.
Know that I am rooting for you! I was a cheerleader in high school and college. Now, this is my way to be a cheerleader for all those students looking for their first job or the older folks looking for a better job! You can do it!
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