Tips to stay motivated during your job search

Job hunting can be a long and challenging process at the best of times, and staying motivated can be difficult. In the midst of a pandemic and its ripple effects across industries, in turn, creating an incredibly tough labour market, today’s job seeker faces even more challenges.

That said, staying motivated is key to success in your job search. These tips and tricks will help you through the challenges, no matter where you’re at in your career.

1. Set clear goals  

Setting clear goals is key. Ensure you have a clear job search process in place and outline various goals that you would like to achieve and when you would like to achieve them by. This may sound simple, but it will help allow you stay the course throughout the process of finding a job.

Once you have goals in place, the next step is to outline specific actions you need to take to achieve those goals. This will ensure you always know the next step to take to stay on track.

2. Keep up a daily routine

Having realistic goals that you can commit yourself to will make the bigger picture seem less daunting, and help you keep track of where you are in the process. Small wins add up to big ones.

A daily routine is also hugely beneficial in that it provides structure to your days and weeks, and ensures you’re achieving something every day. This is very important for your mental health, especially during this time where the impact of COVID-19 on the job market continues to be felt.

3. Have a list of your achievements at hand

It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others while looking for a job. Keeping a list of your achievements at hand allows you to focus on your strengths and highlight them wherever possible and appropriate.

This portfolio of success can be used not only to prove your value to prospective employers, but also provides a much-needed reminder and boost of motivation when you are feeling low or lacking confidence.

4. Reach out to those in your network and beyond

Many people are hesitant to reach out to people in their networks, but networking is key to nailing the job search. As they say, ‘It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.’

Refresh your online profile and reach out to old colleagues, contacts and anyone with connections to companies you admire or would like to work at. See if they have any opportunities to share or ask them to keep you in mind for any opportunities that come up in the future. You may be surprised at the results.

5. Understand that it may take time

A job search is a process and often takes time. Usually, it will be longer than expected, so it is critical to maintain motivation and positivity throughout the process. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t find the right match straight away.

Regularly aim to optimise and improve your approach – but also know it’s a time-consuming process and you may need to wait longer than expected.

6. Be flexible and open-minded

While you should have clear goals in place, it’s important to be flexible and open to all opportunities, and, sometimes, even unexpected ones. Taking a step back every so often will allow you to reevaluate your goal and assess whether it still applies to your situation – you may find that your interests and pursuits have changed.

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