Someone recently asked me for advice on how to stay positive during a job search. Here are my top five tips.
- Find an accountability partner. Find another person in job search to share advice and leads with and help you get back up when you are down. Partner with someone who you will not be competing with for job leads…perhaps someone more junior or more senior than you, or someone in a different industry or job function. Sharing strategies and feelings with someone who is going through the same thing as you can be extremely therapeutic.
- Keep a job search journal. Record your search and make special mentions of how you are feeling on your up days. This will remind you on your down days that you will have up days again. A journal can also help you track patterns in your job search campaign that have contributed to both up and down days. Once you recognize the patterns, you can make the necessary adjustments to your search strategy.
- Join a support group for job seekers. This might be a Meet-Up group or community group or a professional association that has a special interest group for members in transition. These groups are great for building your network, sharing leads, and staying current on job search and industry information.
- Think about those less fortunate than you. Find ways to give back to your personal and professional communities through volunteer work. It is a rewarding way to show good will and build networking relationships in the process. It will also help remind you that even though you are in job search mode there are many things in your life to still be thankful for.
- Enjoy your family. While job search is a full-time job in itself, it does afford you some flexibility in how you plan your day. Take advantage of your flex schedule to attend a child’s soccer game or go to lunch with a spouse.