It’s said that we spend our lives searching. Searching for meaning, for love, for success, for the best sushi place. Unfortunately, it often seems that much of our time is consumed by a job search as well.
Whether it’s looking for work or simply to alter our career path, a job search can be time consuming, frustrating and even soul-sapping, leaving us discouraged, tired and burnt out.
No surprise that this impacts our enthusiasm and ability to be at our best, making the job search even more difficult and further decreasing our chances of success. Sometimes you just have to take a step back in order to recharge your energy and get those motivational juices flowing again.
To avoid a spiral of fatigue, frustration and failure, you would be well served to regain some perspective and revamp your job search efforts.
Of course, while it might be nice to book off for a few weeks for the beaches of Bora Bora, that’s neither realistic nor conducive to helping you pursue employment with focus and vigor.
There are some things you can do that will not only help you refresh yourself but your job searching strategy as well. Here are a few:
-
- Learn more. Rather than approach every bit of job-related or industry information as if it were just another job searching tool, direct your attention to those things that really interest you about your profession/career or the profession you’re looking to enter.
Not only will learning expand your knowledge base, it may just help you rediscover the passion you had for the work in the first place.
-
- Ignorance is bliss. If you’re truly burnt out, stay away from job boards, LinkedIn and your networking tools for a few days. Many people have discovered the liberating effects of disconnecting from social networking sites (SNS) in their personal lives.
You might find that freeing yourself from the monotonous routine of your job search for a little bit will allow you to come back to it with a fresh perspective.
-
- If you’re not prepared to cut the cord, so to speak, then expand the boundaries of your job search. Just as high school seniors include one or more “reach” schools (i.e., schools they don’t think will take them but they’d love to get into), look for a “reach” job.
Yes, we know, there are lots of overqualified people for positions for which you aren’t fully qualified, but humor us here. Write a job description of what you consider to be your dream job.
Then develop a resume that shows that you have the competencies, if not experience or background, to meet the job requirements. This exercise may open your mind to possibilities you hadn’t considered previously and also reaffirm your confidence in your professional bona fides, reminding you of all you have to offer.
-
- Rebrand yourself. Again, if you’re not prepared to cut the “webilical” cord, assess your online presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the like. Are you sure your web persona is who you want prospective employers to believe you are?
If not, now’s a good time to make the necessary modifications. Declutter. Consider it the online version of spring cleaning.
-
- Choose otherwise. Much easier said then done but possible. Choose not to feel burnt out. Choose to feel more confident. Choose to change your opinion of your circumstances and alter your approach accordingly.
Be positive, be forward-thinking, be optimistic, but be. Or, to quote Yoda, the Star Wars Jedi Master: “Do or do not. There is no try.”
Tired of your job search? Then get to work!
About the Author: Michelle Dumas
