How To Maintain Motivation While Job Hunting

There’s no denying that job hunting is a long and arduous task, especially when everyone around you seems to be settled in their roles and you appear to be the only one who is without a job.

When you’re the only one in your friendship group job hunting, it can be hard to know who to turn to for advice or to help keep you moving forward with your search – so it’s important you learn how to maintain your personal motivation whilst job seeking, to ensure you don’t give up.

Sound like something you’re going through right now? Keep reading to gather some tips and tricks to tackle the job hunt alone.

Stick to a routine

If you’re unemployed, getting up early in the morning can seem futile. However, you want to stick to a routine, even when you are off work. Not only will sleeping in make early starts harder when you do find a job, it will cause your motivation to dwindle. It’s important you maintain a sense of routine whilst job hunting, even if that means getting up early to go do a light workout, go for a walk or to take the dog out, it’ll help to reinstate a sense of order in your life.

Being unemployed can drag you down and can make you feel like you’re unsuccessful – so make sure you keep active and engaged during the job hunt so that when you land a job, the transition back to early starts won’t seem that shocking.

Set yourself targets

There’s a proviso here – make sure you keep the targets reasonable. Suggesting to yourself that you will apply to more than 100 jobs per week isn’t attainable nor is landing a permanent position from the first application you send out.

Set yourself reasonable challenges – 10 well-worded and presented applications are better than 20 rushed, generic ones, so remember that quality is better than quantity in this scenario.

Follow-up everything

Job hunting can seem like a one-sided operation when you send out CVs, cover letters and application forms and hear absolutely nothing for weeks on end. That in itself can become demoralizing over time, especially when applications push for so much and require a lot of time and effort.

Following up with interviewers and companies you have applied to work for is a great way to stay connected and show your interest. Get hold of the hiring manager’s contact details via the website or LinkedIn and get in touch. It will show your real determination and seriousness in securing the role and will remind the recruiter of your name if it has somehow been misplaced.

Expect rejection

Unfortunately, you will face rejection from time to time during the job search process. You can’t get every job you apply for and the majority of your them will end being chalked up to experience. Don’t underestimate the value of this – it may seem like an easy cop-out response from friends or family and something you begin to resent hearing, but experience is pivotal in helping you land the perfect job.

Iron out any kinks in your CV and cover letters early on and avoid making the same mistakes. If you can, have someone unbiased to read through your documents and offer their suggestions – it may seem like a daunting prospect, but it’s better to have problems eradicated before they reach an employer and potentially sever any future connections.

Rejections are part of the journey – use each one as an extra push to work harder and keep focused on what your goal is.

Accept help

Whether from a former colleague, a tutor, family member, friend or professional career coach, any help is worth taking. Job hunting can seem like an isolating solo experience, much like working on your own, so it’s good to touch base with other people and brainstorm a few ideas with a different voice to your own from time to time.

A career coach can help you get really clear on the job you want and help you take the right steps to get there – they can offer insight on your resume and cover letter, help you prepare for interviews and tap into the hidden job market.

Recruiters are another brilliant resource as they can offer you support and will usually reach out to you if they find your CV online. Take their advice, keep in touch with them and help them out as much as they help you – if they suggest a few tweaks in your CV, complete them. If they advise you to research a certain topic before interview, do it. They really do know best (it’s their job after all), and it’s in their best interests to get you into a job.

More than anything, when rejection strikes, just keep going. One day you will get your last rejection call and it’ll be replaced with an acceptance instead. Grit your teeth and be prepared to work hard. Results will come in the end if you keep your focus strong throughout.

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