It can be incredibly challenging to stay motivated while seeking employment, but maintaining the right mindset is crucial for your job hunt. Take heart – your ideal role exists; it simply hasn’t discovered you yet.
- Looking for a job is a project – treat it as a task and an exciting new journey!
- Establish a routine – structure your search across the week as you would with work responsibilities.
- Morning rituals – begin each day ready for work – dress up, enjoy breakfast, and even apply makeup as though you were heading to the office.
- Self-care – pay attention to your dietary habits and ensure you get sufficient rest.
- Accept off days – it’s natural to have less motivated days. When they occur, accept it and do something different for the day.
- Positive support network – communicate with those who lift your spirits – friends, family, and former colleagues – and distance yourself from negativity.
- Music for the soul – play your favourite tracks and let the music uplift you.
- Skills enhancement – use this time to bolster your skill set. This has the added benefit of enhancing your CV.
Staying organised
Keeping track of your job applications is vital. Use a spreadsheet or a new notebook, with sections for:
- What jobs you’ve applied for
- What agencies you’ve contacted
- What LinkedIn connections you’ve linked with
- What networking messages have been happening
- What job boards you’ve registered with
- What job alerts you’ve registered with
- Ad hoc notes
Record the contact person, date, and comments to monitor the progress of each venture.
How to stop feeling demotivated when you don’t hear anything back
Sadly you don’t always hear back from a job application. It’s not great but sometimes jobs are so popular that they receive loads of applications.
Rather than apply for hundreds of jobs out of desperation, it’s worth just applying to those that you really want. If you haven’t heard from them after a week, drop them an email saying that you are really keen and would like to have an opportunity to meet with them. If they’ve had lots of applications, it will make you stand out and put you on their radar.
If you don’t hear anything back after an interview (having asked at the end of the interview what the next stage is), message them to say how great it was to meet them last week and that you are keen to get some feedback on how you did. Any feedback would be welcome. Always make your messages friendly.
If you haven’t heard anything by a week later, follow up again with a short message “Hi, you must be really busy. Sorry to bother you again. It would be great to hear from you”. If after that you don’t hear anything, walk away. They obviously don’t have your work ethics and would you want to work for them anyway? Always remember to sign off any messages or emails with your full name and your mobile number.
Final Takeaways
- Avoid comparing your journey to others’.
- View each interview as a learning experience.
- Preparation is key.
- Maintain a positive outlook.
- Trust that the right job is out there!
