I am feeling a bit lost on what to do with my job search. This is the first time in my career I am looking for a job because of a restructuring, so although I have had some interviews, I am not able to close them. Don’t know if it’s me or the company but discouragement has surely set in. Although I have many accomplishments, I don’t feel very useful to the market and not sure that I am following the right path here – Finance Operations Professional
When you want to quit your job search, try these 5 actions to overcome discouragement and regain ... [+]
There are two issues here – one is discouragement when a job search is harder or longer than expected. Sandra emphasizes this, so discouragement will be the focus of this blog. A second issue is troubleshooting why a job search isn’t yielding results (“don’t know if it’s me or the company”). There are many steps in the hiring process, each of which opens up a minefield of problems to troubleshoot. For now, let’s assume that Sandra’s resume and LinkedIn profile are optimized and her interview technique is strong enough to avoid an interview disaster, and focus exclusively on ways to overcome discouragement and stay motivated during a difficult job search:
1 – Treat yourself
You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but you will have to invest time and effort to prioritize your own self-care. Build in regular breaks in-between your job search activities. After applying to a target number of companies, take the afternoon off – e.g., go window shopping, visit the library and check out some new titles (here are five new books that are inspiring reads and helpful to your professional development). Give yourself the weekend, or at minimum one full day, where you don’t work on your job search at all. You won’t fall behind after one or two days off, and your renewed focus will likely outweigh any time lost.
2 – Measure process instead of results
It can be disheartening to put your heart and soul in a tailored cover letter, only to not hear back. Or you did exhaustive research and preparation for a job interview, only to get cut before the finals. Or you get far along the process and think this is the one, but you don’t get the offer. There are good reasons why a qualified candidate doesn’t get the job. This doesn’t mean that you don’t continually look at ways to improve. However, some of the ultimate result will be out of your control, so look at what you can control – your own effort. Your efforts include the number of jobs you apply for, the number of people you reach out to and the depth of your research on target companies. Celebrate the consistency of your process, even if the results are slow to come.
3 — Focus on quantity
Of course, you want to focus on quality and tailor job search activities, like networking outreach and marketing materials. However, you also need quantity in your search, and there is a tradeoff between how much time you can spend on a single application v. getting many applications out the door. If positive results are slow in coming, you may need more quantity – to apply to more jobs, even if that means sending out general cover letters. The push for quantity will not only help results, but may also help your motivation, since you’ll have more prospects in your pipeline and will be less dependent on any single one.
4 – Enlist a buddy
Misery loves company is a cliché for a reason. There is comfort in going through a difficult time with someone else. That someone else doesn’t have to be a mentor, coach or expert giving you guidance. Your buddy doesn’t even have to be working on their own job search. You just need someone you can tap on a regular basis who is supportive of you and generally encouraging and positive. Let your buddy know what you’re working on, and ask them to help you maintain momentum and a positive frame of mind. Do the same for whatever they are working on. You may want to schedule a short weekly call to be each other’s cheerleader and accountability partner. Or, you may just want to have a buddy in mind for when you need a pick-me-up call.
5 – Reframe your job search as a multi-level game
The fun and addictive aspect of video games is that there are new challenges and multiple levels to accomplish. If you can reframe your job search as a multi-level game, this mindset shift may make the start and stop of a typical job search process less anxious. You are just moving to different levels of the game — from idea to executive, from application to interviews, from initial meeting to deeper relationship and ultimately to a job offer (the final goal!). Along the way, treat yourself (see point 1), and this reinforces how much you are accomplishing and moving forward, even if the final goal is yet elusive.
When discouragement creeps in, refer to your brag book
If you don’t yet have a brag book, put one together now since it will help, not just fight discouragement, but also promote your job search efforts. Your brag book is a curation of your accomplishments. It can include work samples, awards, emails from happy clients and colleagues and anything else that is a win for you. A job search has a lot of waiting time, where your thoughts can easily revert to worry or fear without something better to replace these negative feelings. Pull out your brag book whenever you feel discouragement creeping in, and you’ll feel better, as well as remind yourself of your strengths and unique value proposition – items you need to keep front and center anyway for your job search.
