Whether you are unemployed and looking for work, or looking to make a change from your current employer, there is a certain amount of stress that comes with the job search process. People often feel frustration, anxiety, fear, denial, sadness and any of a dozen other emotions all at once. It can be a roller coaster from start to finish whether you are searching for one month or 2 years for that next job. Here are five tips to help keep you sane during the search.
1. Stay positive. I know, I know. Easy to say and hard to do. When you get one rejection after another and don’t know what next week is going to look like, it is hard to keep all the good things in your life in mind. Try to remember this is an opportunity for a better job, a better paycheck, a better life.
2. Decide that you have a new job already. If you are unemployed, realize that your new job is to get a job! Treat the search as a project and not only will you find yourself more motivated and invested in what you do every day, you will get further in your search. Use all your skills and experience to organize, manage and sell until you get that next job.
3. Do not keep it a secret. Tell all your family and friends you are on the lookout for a new position and share some of the things you are proactively doing to further your cause. How can anyone help you with a contact or just be a supportive shoulder when no one knows what is going on? Develop a communication strategy as part of the new job search project you are working on and get the word out.
4. Be easy on yourself. In other words, do what you need to do to handle the stress. Nothing will make a job search stress-less, but well placed time off from the search and supportive friends can go a long way in keeping you focused and in the moment. No lamenting over the past or fretting about the future will get you employed any faster.
5. Be easy on your old boss. Or your old company or co-workers. No matter what situation you are coming from, do not criticize the people in your old jou. You certainly won’t bad-mouth anyone in front of a prospective employer, but even sharing your grievances once too often with people close to you can poison your attitude. Look forward, not back.
A major transition like a new job will take some time to even out and adjustment may not be easy. But getting a handle on your emotions during your search will help you to focus on what is really important – getting that dream job!
By: Becky Papp
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