Being without a job is incredibly stressful, especially if you have dependents counting on you. But it’s important not to let the stress get the better of you, or it could very well sabotage your job search. These five tips can help you relieve the stress as you look for your next job.
Identify What’s Holding You Back
Usually, job seekers become more stressed the longer they go without a job, which is a natural reaction. If you’ve been jobless for a while and aren’t having any luck, it’s critically important to take a step back and see what might be going wrong. For example, are you sending the exact same resume and cover letter to every job? If you’re landing interviews but aren’t hearing back, what might be lacking in your interview performance?
Consider Career Coaching
If you know you need a job but weren’t satisfied with your last one or don’t really know where your career is going to go from here, consider career coaching. A career coaching service, like Ace-Up, can help you identify your goals, make changes to your resume, have a clearer vision of how you’d like your career to go and more.
Manage Your Stress
Stress while job hunting is problematic because the true cause is not always apparent – a lot of it comes from the unknown and the lack of control you have over your situation. A proper diet, exercise and adequate sleep are all proven ways to bring down your stress level. Try yoga or breathing exercises. Be sure to take a break every now and again to do something fun as well – you’ve earned it!
Don’t Settle
If you can possibly avoid it, never let yourself get to the point that you’ll take any job. Have a clear position or set of positions you are interested in obtaining and work towards obtaining them. The problem with settling is you will likely be unhappy sooner or later or realize the job is a poor fit, which will likely make your next job hunt even more stressful, could get you fired or could make you look like a job hopper. Your job search to find the right fit is important so take the time to get it right.
Budget
Worrying about money is a common source of stress for job seekers and it can easily distract you, making your search harder. To combat this, have a financial plan and a budget and stick to it so your financial situation can’t get the better of you while you’re job hunting.
Managing stress is critical during a job search because it can easily turn into a vicious cycle: you’re stressed because you don’t have a job, so you perform badly in an interview because of it and are back to square one. Following these steps, however, should help you relieve the stress. You’ll be sure to land a new job soon!
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