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[This original version of this article
first appeared in the February 13, 2003, issue of the Online
Job Search Guide, Job-Hunt's free twice-a-month e-mailed newsletter. Most recent update: 24 November 2009.]
It's easy to
get discouraged after working at a job search for a length of time
with no apparent success. Job search success will come, but it never
seems to come soon enough. Here are some tips to help you keep your
spirits up:
- Recognize
that losing a job is something that will happen to everyone eventually
(probably more than once, too!).
You're
not "bad" or "incompetent" because you are
unemployed, although if you've been unemployed for several months,
you may think that you are. Consider that you were in the wrong
place at the wrong time, particularly if you were part of a corporate layoff or downsizing.
See what you can learn from it (pay more attention to office politics
or to the signs that the company was headed for financial difficulties,
etc.), and move on.
[If the job
loss was a big surprise, you may need to go through a period of
mourning. Then, if you are angry, dump the anger so it doesn't
sabotage your job search. It's been highly recommended to write
it all down. Spill out the anger and the frustration and the injustices
in writing. You don't need to do anything with what you've written;
you just unburden yourself of the anger by expressing it harmlessly.
There's research that shows it helps you to move on with your
life.]
- Recognize
that it IS a tough job market right now. Not impossible, but tough.
Being unemployed
for several months is not "proof" that you are stupid
or unemployable. It IS a very tough job market, and many people
who will be fabulously successful in the future are unemployed
right now. Some things are beyond our control, and the job market
is one of those things.
- Don't spend
a lot of time trying to "fix" what is "wrong"
with you.
This isn't
the time to tear yourself apart trying to change into something
you aren't. You can't go from introvert to extrovert, or vice
versa, if that's not who you really are. Chances are VERY slim
that you are really as imperfect as you feel right now, anyway.
- Don't obsess
about the bad job market news you hear or read.
People seem
to feel obligated to let you know "how bad it is out there."
Don't listen! Many of the horror stories are NOT true, and even
if they are true, the person or people involved are probably quite
different from you
Focus on positive things right now, not negative. This is not
"avoiding reality." This is staying upbeat and positive
so you can recognize (and pounce on) the opportunities coming
to you.
- Don't focus on the job boards. Move on to LinkedIn.
Limit the amount of time you spend working the job sites.
Working the job boards may give you the feeling that you're accomplishing something,
but, for those of us who are a bit shy or just discouraged, it's
also a way to hide from making the real (human) connections that
will be more helpful. Being comfortable with the technology of
an online job search is critical, but an effective job search
is more than just using the technology, and the sad truth is that very few people (fewer than 10%) actually find jobs through job boards.
LinkedIn.com is the current "happy hunting ground" of the majority of recruiters. So, join it, if you haven't already, and connect with your friends, former colleagues, and target employers.
- Reach out to people who can help you.
Most people really enjoy the opportunity to help because they've
been through it themselves. And, next time, you may be the right
contact for the people who are helping you now. It's that scary
word, "networking " but, with a little practice, you
can do it. And, bottom line, you must network to that new job.
For many of
us, this is the hardest thing to do - to ask for help. UGH! Don't
be whiny or downbeat (not the time for a long "poor abused
me" monolog). And don't be so focused on your goals that you become a selfish user of people. This is a great time to see if you can help someone else, too. Maybe you know the "right person" for them to contact at their target employer or target client. Ask for advice
and/or for the name of people who could help you find your next job.
- Give yourself
a break.
Finding a job IS a full-time job, but don't work yourself to a
frazzle or exclude time to relax. You'll be more effective if
you take time to "recharge your batteries" with a little
relaxation every day. Borrow a good mystery novel or a video from
your local library, have lunch with friends, go to a movie, whatever
works for you. Have a REAL life in addition to your job search.
For more help:
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About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.
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