subject: Tips For Staying Positive During A Job Search [print this page] Impossible Times: Inspiration to Help Find A Job
Anyone who has ever been without a job and has had to look for employment knows just how intimidating the process can be. The process becomes even more difficult if you know there are many other people in your situation, this makes competition fierce. While the technicalities of the process are important, staying positive during a job search is vital to your success. Here you'll find a number of tips to help you stay positive while looking for a new job.
While it may be tempting to let yourself go while looking for a job, this will only hurt the process. Taking care of yourself during the process is essential, even if you're staying at home and conducting your job search through your computer and telephone. Get in some daily exercise, shower and get dressed. You'll find that this immediately will help you lift your mood. You'll feel more energized if you're dressed for the part to get things done. If you're constantly in your pajamas, you're not allowing yourself a successful mindset.
Being out of work doesn't mean you can't have a schedule. You'll probably spend several hours a day looking for a job, but you will need to do other activities too. Creating a healthy balance in your life will help you stay focused and motivated.
Network as much as you can. Utilize the people you already know and make new acquaintances. Let people know you're looking for work. You'll never know who your friends and family know if you don't ask. Some people feel awkward when it comes to networking because they think it means asking for work and it is, but only to a degree. You want to create a business relationship that is mutually rewarding because you do have a lot to offer.
Just because you're out of work doesn't mean you should slack with keeping up with the news in your field. This means you should continue to read the newspapers and magazines associated to your industry. If possible attend professional conferences. The bottom line is to stay in tune with what's going on in your field. This may open employment opportunities and it will help you make the transition into the working world easier when you finally do get a job.
When unemployed it's easy to get sucked into the trap of feeling down. In order to prevent this you have to occupy yourself with something other than finding work a few hours a day. In addition to exercise, you may want to pick up a new (or old) hobby. This will help you relax and will help you forget the job search temporarily. This will help re-fresh your mind and keep you motivated.
Keep yourself active and around like-minded individuals. If you're hanging out with people who are constantly giving out negative energy, this will only pull you down. You want to choose who you spend time with carefully, especially when you're doing through a delicate period such as finding work.
Staying positive during a job search is probably more important than you think. When you stay positive, you're more likely to do the things that will land you a job. You're willing to work harder and a positive attitude will help you remain focused on your ultimate goal. Think about volunteering. If you give some of your time to a good cause this will help you appreciate the great things in your life as opposed to dwelling on the things that you don't have.
