18 Ways to Stay ‘Up’ in a Long-Drawn-Out Job Search

by Tracy Laswell Valdez, CPRW, JCTC – CAREER-Magic.com

No doubt about it, job searching can be a draining, emotionally gut-wrenching, and depressing experience. The world as you know it hangs in the balance throughout a long, anxiety-ridden jaunt through the unknown. As a job search expert, a big part of what I do is help clients stay “up” emotionally throughout the process. I feel for you! So here are some thoughts on how to stay up during an extended job search, contributed by real live job seekers like yourself:

1. Treat your body like the temple it is: quit smoking, exercise, eat yummy and nutritious foods, rest well, keep yourself meticulously well-groomed. Pamper yourself!
2. Get outside each and every day for at least 30 minutes – fresh air, sunshine, and nature are free and powerful medicine.
3. Stay away from booze and other chemical depressants.
4. Limit Internet, television, and other electronic depressants.
5. Volunteer for worthwhile causes where your contributions are truly appreciated.
6. Go to church, meditate, do yoga, read inspirational books – do things to keep your perspective.
7. Avoid grumpy, pessimistic, critical, demanding people. Instead, hang out with supportive, energetic, POSITIVE people who are always trying something new. And contrary to your gut instinct, it’s often quite helpful to socialize with other unemployed people as long as they’re perky, can-do folks who are not going to let life get them down.
8. Along those lines, spend some time with babies and puppies and kitties – in other words, those who serve as reminders that the simplest things in life can be a joy.
9. Get a small job where you can make a difference, make a few dollars, and make some new networking contacts / friends.
10. Throw yourself a pity party – I’m serious! Invite your wisest, closest friends, whine and moan, get it all out of your system, then move on.
11. Ask your closest friends to tell you five great things about you.
12. Cut yourself some slack if you’re feeling angry, bummed, or tired. Give yourself permission to take a break from the search every so often.
13. Go back to school to develop a new skill, whether it’s job search related or something fun you’ve always wanted to learn (like a foreign language, cooking, pottery, dance). Learn something new even if you have to get a student loan.
14. Find some free fun each day – if you look, you can probably find free and low-cost sources of entertainment (free art exhibits and live music at coffee shops, free video and music rentals at the library, etc.).
15. Get your expectations on straight. Job searches take a lot time -  the rule of thumb is month of full-time searching for every $10k in annual salary you’re seeking – in other words, most people’s job searches can be expected to take 4-12 months.
16. Try not to go through your job search like a lead balloon, tense and tight and deadly serious in all you do. Get wacky, laugh a lot, take a lighthearted approach. Instead of getting tangled up in small details (should I email, should I fax, should I write a cover letter?), realize that the people on the receiving end of your application are people too. This means they all respond differently to different things. Instead of following the job search herd, try to think of some goofy, out-of-the-box (yet legal and somewhat professional) ways to get in front of hiring managers. You really have nothing to lose at this point.
17. Develop a habit of gratitude to replace the habit of self-pity. I personally count my blessings at least once a day, often in writing, and it’s a great way to stay up when life gets grueling and discouraging.
18. Get professional help! Call CAREER-Magic today and let us help you get unstuck. Or at very least, email us your resume for a free resume critique (resume analysis).

For more tips on positive, productive job searching, check out our book The Essential Job Search Companion, or call CAREER-Magic today to schedule a job search coaching session – 303-424-1700. We guarantee to provide a boost to your job search!