Today finding a job can be really tough, but there are a few things that can help you when you are coping with job search depression. Most of us have been greatly affected by the recession and it might feel like you are never going to get the job, but you will definitely find the one you want! Check out some of the best ways to cope with job search depression.
1. Believe in yourself
Never lose hope and don’t ever give up! There are millions of incredibly talented, driven, smart people who are in the same situation as you. The difficulty of getting work should not correlate with your sense of self-esteem. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?
2. Don’t take it personally
Endless rejections can be really harmful to your self-worth. Actually, it’s one of the terrible things about coping with job search depression. And it can quickly start to feel like an awfully personal rejection of your ambition, yourself, and your ability. But it is not!
If you take every rejection to heart, you are going to lose confidence in yourself and this will not help you to find a job. Lots of other people who applied for the same job received rejection letters. Learn from the experience, forget it and move on.
3. Talk to people
During a job search, it’s easy to become a recluse. You might not have money, because you don’t work, and you don’t want to get out of the home and do something. But surfing job websites all day is not healthy.
You need a break or a change of scenery. Find an opportunity to talk to people who have great experience in your industry. Meet them for a one-off coffee, and you could get personal advice you are not going to receive anywhere else.
4. Make up a schedule
Job searching will be easier if you have a schedule. Don’t get in the habit of lying around in bed all day, otherwise, you will feel more depressed. Try to get up at the same time every morning, and make up a timetable of when you will be job-searching.
Set a reasonable goal of how many applications you will do every day, taking into account that some applications could take whole days to complete. If you have a schedule, you will feel more productive and will not get your applications confused.
5. Don’t waste time
When you are searching for a job, you have more free time than you are normally accustomed to. But don’t waste your time. If your resume is looking bare a little, use your free time to do some volunteering.
Through volunteering, you’ll great a big experience. You can help out in a local theatre or drama club, work with disadvantaged kids or become a volunteer policeman.
6. Don’t just surf the job sites
I agree, the Internet is a good resource for anyone looking for a job, but don’t just surf the job sites. Most of the jobs aren’t publicly advertised. Look in regional and national newspapers, go to a recruitment agency and talk to real, live human beings rather than a machine or think about any connections you might have who could help you out. Although they won’t give you a job, they may be able to help you to bulk up your resume.
7. Take an opportunity
You might hear those success stories about unemployed people who took the opportunity to work on something they have always desired to do and somehow they have become entrepreneurs, millionaires, artists, authors, etc. You don’t have to become a famous artist or a millionaire, but you can make enough money to live, doing what you love.
When you’re looking for a job, you can end up feeling lonely and trapped. I hope this advice will help you to stay positive through unemployment. Do you have some other tips? Share your thoughts, please!
