Tips on Staying Motivated
It’s easy to get discouraged when you’ve been looking for work, especially if you haven’t had much luck. But unemployment doesn’t last forever.
It’s important to keep a positive outlook and stay motivated when searching for your next job. In fact, some people turn a stint of unemployment into a great opportunity, finding an even better job than they left.
It can become a stepping stone to better things in your future, but you’ve got to stay motivated to keep working at the job hunt.
LOOK FOR SUCCESS STORIES
Scour the Internet and talk to colleagues about success stories because it can motivate you and teach you something about job-search strategies that work.
Networking can also be a great way to hear about positive outcomes for people’s career paths.
If you have a friend on Facebook or a colleague on LinkedIn who just got hired for a new job, send them a congratulatory note or give them a phone call. You may be able to pick up some pointers for what worked in their job search.
It can also help you see what’s working in the job market. If your friend just got hired at XYZ Corporation, they might be looking to hire someone with your skills, too.
Spend time with people who are having success in their careers and try to mimic what they do. If they’re getting promotions and better jobs, there’s a good reason for it. Find out their secret to success.
CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE
If you’ve been doing the same thing over and over while continuing to get the same results, it’s time to change your habits.
Instead of posting your résumé online, go knock on doors downtown. Instead of scouring the Internet for ads, look in the newspaper or call a person who works in your industry.
People say the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
Don’t be crazy. If you want different results, you’ve got to do different things, so experiment until you find a career plan that works.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES
Even when you haven’t landed a job, there are still rays of hope you can look forward to. Did you get a phone interview? Did you discover a new source of job leads? Did you “almost” get your dream job?
Think about what led to those little successes and try to emulate them until you get the job you want.