Being overwhelmed is a common issue I hear amongst job seekers today.
And it’s no wonder.
You are told to make connections, build your community, complete real-world projects, update your portfolio, reach out to recruiters, customize your resume, and more!
Add that to the fact that you are living in the midst of so much uncertainty—will I get a call from that company? Will I hear back from that recruiter? Will I be asked for a second interview?
It easily becomes overwhelming.
Trying to do all the recommended activities, plus navigating such uncertainty, wears down one’s soul.
How does one keep going? And not only keep going but retain the right perspective and feel good about yourself.
In my years of working with job seekers, I’ve noticed certain habits from job seekers who can stay in the right mind space throughout their job search. (Or, at least stay in the right space for at least 90% of the time. Sometimes, we all need moments of losing it and then can return to the right mind space.)
Here are 5 habits to make your job search less stressful.
1. Establish a routine.
You don’t need to do it all at once.
I talked with a career changer recently. In the midst of her career change, she continues to work full-time in her previous career as she advances her skills and experience in her new field. One key to her not getting overwhelmed was to set aside specific time for various activities.
For example, she spent 2 hours every morning working on a project in her new field, 1 hour on LinkedIn, etc. When the designated time was up, she moved on.
She had specific tasks she wanted to complete during her hour on LinkedIn. These included sending out 10 connection requests, replying to messages, and publishing 1 post. However, if she wasn’t able to complete all these tasks in one hour, that was okay. When the hour was up, she moved on.
I encourage you to do the same. You may set up a daily or weekly routine. Spread the various activities (networking, building community, advancing your skillset, updating portfolio, etc.) across a week or two. If you are working full-time, it’ll likely be across two weeks or even a month.
Set up a routine that works within the schedule you already have.
2. Build your community.
Developing support groups around you is key.
There are at least two different community groups needed for your job search.
The first group are individuals close to you. Family. Friends. Individuals who really know ho and are supportive of your job search. These are the people you can be very real with. If you are fed up with your job search, you can vent in their presence, and they can respond positively. If you are not able to find family or friends, consider a coach to help you navigate your job search.
The second community group is the contacts you make in your new field. These could be on LinkedIn, at webinars or other online events, or at in-person events. Some of these individuals will be other job seekers. There’s comfort and strength in knowing others who are going through the same things.
Other individuals will be former job seekers who recently found a job. These individuals are great for learning how they found their position, for understanding what you are going through, and for encouraging you to stay steady.
Other individuals in this group will be leaders and career coaches. They share valuable information about your new field as well as what you need to know/do in your job search.
Finally, get involved in LinkedIn groups that align with your new field. These groups are a great resource for staying up on industry trends and discovering potential job openings.
3. Self-reflect. Recognize your wins.
Spend regularly scheduled time for self-reflection.
At least once a week or daily, if you are hitting the job search hard, reflect on how your job search is going.
Realize your small wins. You made another connection. You talked with someone in your new field. You started a project that will continue to advance your skills. Look back and see how far back you’ve come. Where were you a year ago? You’ve come a long way, baby!
Pay attention to your emotions. Write down the frustrations, or go on a long walk and let the frustrations get out. Get the negative out so the positive can return and keep you in the right space.
Ponder what you have learned this past week or that day. What do you want to change on your resume or portfolio? What seems to be working well?
Always learning. Always adapting.
4. Focus on what you can control
There are many things we cannot control in a job search, but there are also many things we can.
You can control the number of connections you want to reach out to. You can control customizing your resume for a specific position. You can control completing a real-world project.
Set your goals on what you can control, not what you can’t.
5. Embrace the journey.
A job search is more of a journey than a quick ‘do this and you’re done.’ Pacing yourself is key.
It’s challenging.
It’s up and down.
It’s experimenting.
It’s discovering more about yourself.
It’s taking care of yourself in the midst of it all.
It’s finding ways to have fun and do things that make you feel good about yourself.
It’s doing what you need to do to continue to pay the bills while you search for the job you really want.
They say ‘enjoy the journey’. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I would say ‘make the most of it.’
Make these 5 habits a part of your job-search lifestyle to help you stay in the right space throughout your job search.
Heck, all 5 of them can even become more of a permanent lifestyle change that helps you navigate life even after your job search. Imagine that!