Like looking for a new place to live, job hunting is one of those things when it rains, it pours. But leading up to that point you face a serious, and often long, drought.
Let’s be real, it’s bloody hard to find the motivation for a long job hunt. REALLY hard. At a certain point we start to believe we’ll be rejected before we even begin and stop putting so much effort into our applications – which is really the main way to sabotage our chances and continue the vicious cycle.
Next time you’re on the hunt, try these three tips to stay motivated and get out of your rut – or avoid them int he first place.
1. Write down your career goals
I know all that self-helpy, write-down-your-goals stuff can seem super lame, but there’s a lot of evidence backing up the idea that having clear goals set on paper can help you achieve them.
In terms of job hunting, writing down your career goals will make it easier to know WHY you’re hunting and what sort of role will be beneficial to your professional life.
2. Then be selective
Once you know those things, you can start narrowing down the roles you’re applying to. I know that sometimes we just need to get the heck out of our current situations, or we find ourselves without a job and need one asap. In that case, you obviously might find a need to expand the search again.
However, typically we just know we’re ready to move on from our current jobs but have no great hurry. So be selective and don’t burn yourself out applying to jobs that don’t sound exciting or helpful to your career advancement.
3. Don’t forget to take breaks
No-one can work forever without burning out, no matter what the task. The same is true of looking for a new role. The best way to maintain motivation in a long job hunt is to take a regular step back from it.
Read, go for a walk, hit the gym, see friends: whatever it is, give yourself at least a day to forget about looking for a new career and to just reset.
Happy hunting!
