How to stay enthusiastic when hunting for your next job
As you job hunt, you usually have no control over how the process will pan out. You could get a job almost immediately, or it could take a while. The longer the job hunting process takes, the more you are likely to get disheartened. You have to stay inspired and maintain a high level of enthusiasm during your job search. Even the most dogged candidate is likely to hit that point where the search becomes routine, boring and uninspiring.
To keep you motivated and galvanised, we will look at 5 ways to achieve this during your hunt for your next job.
1. Network with other people who can add value to you
Networking is an integral part of career growth. When you connect with people, you never know how far these connections will take you. Therefore, be optimistic and be willing to start an intelligent conversation with people. It’s important to keep your mind open and don’t hesitate to offer a helping hand. The networking we are referring to here is not the type where you go around mandating people to get you a job. Rather, you could offer a helping hand to new connections you make as the day progresses.
One interesting thing about the type of connection recommended here is that is can be done online or in face-to-face encounters. The idea behind this is to step into what we call ‘natural networking.’ This helps you build real relationships with individuals who have the capacity to help you get where you want to be with your career. Note that this is not a substitute to searching for a job. Rather, it complements the search. You can let people in your network that you are job hunting and they can recommend vacancies in their industries.
2. Relax, Relax, Relax
It is recommended that you should take the task of searching for a job as a job of sorts. This means you should dedicate sufficient time to actively searching for the job. However, you should not spend all your time searching for a job. For instance, spending 20 hours out of the 24-hour limit in a day on searching for a job on a daily basis is not the ideal thing to do. You need to rest. Instead, you should also dedicate enough time to eating, sleeping, socialising with friends and family. Get away from your PC and get involved in some physical activity. This will help you unwind and feel rejuvenated when you resume your job search activities. It is also during this time that you can create valuable networks.
3. Diversify your search
You might have two years of work experience as a sales executive but this does not mean that you cannot apply your skills in other industries. Remember that any opportunity that comes your way will be a chance for you to acquire transferable skills. You might also discover talents that lay dormant within you. Speak to people outside your industry of expertise. The advice you get from an accountant or marketing manager could be exactly what you need to ignite new ideas and opportunities to explore.
4. Rethink and act differently
It is advisable to be relentless in your job search but you must also be realistic. If you have been applying for jobs for much longer than you planned to, then it might be time for you to consider dumping everything and taking several steps backwards to evaluate what you have been doing. This does not, however, mean that you should permanently cease searching for a job. Instead, what is recommended is that you halt it temporarily and then restart with a view to doing things differently and better. For instance, rather than sending in the same CV to employers for different roles, endeavour to rewrite your CV in a way that it is optimised for each role you apply for.
5. Don’t stop learning
The fact that you are searching for a job does not mean that all you do on a daily basis is applying for jobs. Spare some time to learning. It is crucial that you read because this increases your knowledge base and is bound to keep you inspired. Note that learning is not tightly boxed into reading text alone. You can also watch video tutorials, register for courses and trainings and conduct some research as this will increase your skill-set. Also, consider brainstorming sessions with friends and loved ones.
Which of the tips to stay inspired during your job search resonated the most with you and why? Let us know in the comments below!
