How To Stay Motivated During Your Job Search
Most of us have been there – sending out resumes and not hearing back, interviewing for a job and being told they are going with another candidate. Job searching can be difficult and sometimes disheartening! That is why it is so important to find ways to stay motivated through the ups and downs of your job search. Taking care of yourself is key! Remember the right job for you could be just around the corner. Here are some of our top tips for staying motivated and keeping yourself on track for a successful job search.
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Set goals! Set tangible and realistic goals for yourself. Break larger long-term goals into smaller more manageable steps. Be sure to use the SMART goal format, keep your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. This will ensure that you are setting effective goals. Consistently check in and reflect on your progress and adjust your goal time lines if necessary. Use the attached goal setting worksheet to help keep track of your goals.
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Get support! Set up a job search support network. This network can include friends, family, teachers, alumni, past colleagues, and employment professionals such as an Employment Specialist at Centre for Skills Development! Make sure everyone in your network is a positive support person. Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your job search and any stumbling blocks you have. Many people have been in your shoes and can offer advice and tips, or even just be there to listen.
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Identify Career Role Models! Identifying one or two people that you look up to as a career role model can keep you motivated and give you something to aspire to. Research their career path to find out how they got to where they are. You can also reach out to set up a short information interview with a career role model, so you can ask them directly about their career. You can identify someone from your personal network, or do research using company websites or LinkedIn to identify someone who is in a role you admire.
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Stick to a Routine! Create a routine and follow it daily. Decide on the number of hours you will dedicate to job search activities and schedule that time into your day. Try and get up at the same time each morning and have a clear idea of your plan and goals for the day. Find a schedule that works for you! Having a routine will help you stay motivated and focused. It will also help you to accomplish what you need to do without feeling overwhelmed. Be sure to schedule in time to focus on something you enjoy doing to give yourself a break from job search activities.
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Visualize where you want to be! Picture yourself in your dream job. What does it look like? Where is your office? How do you feel going to work? Creating a vision board can help with this.
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Practice gratitude and stay balanced! Try to think of 3 things daily that you are thankful for. Focusing on the good things in your life can elevate your mood and make you feel more positive. Balance out your job search time with time to do fun activities that make you feel happy! When you do things that make you feel good you build your self confidence and feel more motivated.
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Volunteer! Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to the community. It also allows you to build your skills and connections, which can be very helpful when you are job searching. Adding volunteer experiences to your resume can also help to make you more marketable.
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Keep a record! Create a job search log. This will help you to stay organized and also allows you to reflect on your achievements during your job search. Save each job you apply for and the resume you used. That way if you get called for an interview you are ready for the interview. A job search log can be done using excel or you can use a paper list if you prefer!
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Know your worth! Write down 5 things you are proud of from your life. They could be from past employment experiences, school, volunteering or sports teams. Tell the story of what you did and why you did it well. Then you can pick out the skills you used to accomplish these achievements. Doing this exercise will give you pride and confidence in your abilities and create self awareness of the skills you possess. It is also good practice for interviewing as you automatically have a few good “achievement” stories to share in an interview.
Using these tips will help you to stay motivated during your job search! Remember the right job for you is out there, sometimes it just takes some time for things to come together. Centre for Skills Development Employment Specialists are here for you and have many ways to help you with your job search. Please reach out to us so we can be part of your support network—we are are here to help!
Greatness takes time and patience.
“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordon
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
Babe Ruth
Links to additional resources:
CLICK HERE: GOAL SETTING TEMPLATE
Tips for using indeed for job searching:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/tips-for-using-indeed-to-job-search
Information Interviews:
A Complete Guide To Informational Interviews | Indeed.com