7 Tips for Avoiding Job Search Burnout

After years spent working hard towards your degree, the prospect of your first real-world job is exciting. But what happens when the job search doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d hoped? After months of combing through online postings and sending resumes out into the Internet void, it’s easy to get discouraged and lose momentum. But that perfect job is just around the corner, and you’ll need to stay sharp to find it. Here are seven tips for avoiding job-search burnout.

1. Set mini goals

When your main goal — getting hired — hovers just out of reach, it’s hard not to get frustrated or down on yourself. Setting a series of smaller, achievable goals can help you feel like you’re accomplishing something and keep you moving forward. Establish a target number of resumes to send out per day or week. Vow to call at least five job contacts and plan to attend one networking function per week. The key is to write your goals down for the day, the week, and the month, and hold yourself to them.

2. Enlist a support team

When you keep receiving rejection emails, or even worse, getting no responses at all, having a support group to commiserate with makes a big difference. Having a few friends who are going through the job search process at the same time you are is ideal. You can proofread each other’s resumes, work on applications together, or schedule regular check-ins to share experiences. However, even if you don’t have job-search buddies, enlist a few friends and family members to be your cheerleaders. Update them on your progress and let them reassure you that any employer would be lucky to have you.

3. Give yourself structure

When you’re in school, classes and extracurricular activities provide a regular schedule. When you suddenly find yourself with nothing on your to-do list but combing the Internet for job postings, it’s easy to find yourself spending whole days on the couch in your pajamas with your laptop. Pretend your job search is a full-time job: Wake up at the same time every day, eat breakfast, get dressed and start working. Structure will keep you feeling productive and energized.

4. Take breaks

When you’re having trouble turning up any job leads, you can sometimes feel like any time you spend away from the job hunt is taking your eyes off the prize. But taking breaks is essential for staying energized. Whether it’s 10 minutes for a walk around the block, a couple of hours for coffee with a friend, a 20-minute chair massage, or a day trip to the beach, you’ll return to your search more refreshed and energized than before.

5. Stay active

Without the structure of a job or class schedule, other routines can fall to the wayside, including exercise. Make time for regular physical activity, whether that means taking walks around the neighborhood or hitting the gym. Not only will you be keeping yourself healthy, but the endorphins will help you bring a positive attitude to your job hunt as well.

6. Stay social

You love your friends, but when they’re all excited about new jobs or starting grad school and you’re still slogging through your job hunt, it’s tempting to turn down their dinner invitations and wallow in self-pity instead. Avoid that temptation and make the effort to go out and be social instead. Take advantage of your friends’ support, and let them temporarily distract you from your search. Plus, the more often they see your face, the more likely they’ll be to think of you when they hear about an exciting new opening at their uncle’s company. And who knows, a new friend you meet at a party may become a great new industry connection. Whatever you do, don’t become a hermit, or you’ll be cutting yourself off from the social benefits and potential career benefits a strong network provides.

7. Be proactive

Even when your job search is stalled, you can still make progress towards your career goals in other ways. Attend networking events and contact people in your industry for informational interviews. Many people will be thrilled to help a new grad become better acquainted with their industry, even if they don’t have concrete job leads to provide. If you have extra time on your hands, look for opportunities to volunteer in some way connected to your industry, or contact a former internship supervisor and ask if they need an extra hand at the office. Even aside from the networking contacts, you’ll learn more about your industry and show potential employers that you made productive use of your down time.

About the Author:

Caitlin Browne writes about education, career and business topics.