For those who have been in the job market for a longer period of time, it can be hard to keep your spirits up. The frustration and despair over your failure to land a job yet can make you crazy, depressed and longing to throw in the towel. But, knowing that giving up isn't an option, you are still sending out resumes in the hopes that something will happen.
Feeling overwhelmed and disheartened is completely natural. But the problem is that when you get to the point where you have lost any enthusiasm for your job search, you make yourself less attractive to potential employers and lower your odds of finding a great new job. So, when you find yourself in this situation, it can help to take a deep breath, a step back and try to find a way to change the way you are going about looking for a job.
Let's face it, there is no way that you are never going to have another job. So, it is just a matter of finding the right opportunity at the right time. So, here are some ways to change your job search and hopefully, get back some of that lost enthusiasm:
- Do something to network at least once a week – Networking with other professionals is a great way to get leads on new openings and keep up-to-date with what is going on in the business world. Let's face it, when you don't have a job to go to, it is easy to get in the habit of sleeping late, wearing pajamas all day and not taking care of yourself. And trust me, hiring managers can spot the difference. So, keep your professional edge by making a point to get up, brush your teeth, put on a suit and take advantage of some networking opportunities. This can be attending a job fair, signing up for a seminar or training course or even meeting friends, previous co-workers or other professionals for lunch. Whatever way you decide to network, you'll find that just getting into “work mode” will raise your spirits and help you look at your job search with fresh eyes.
- Get involved with social networking – If you don't already have accounts on several social media sites, make some. If you do, then look for new ways to connect with your contacts. Get involved in Linkedin discussions, read and comment on industry related blogs. Set aside a few hours each day for participating with your network. Your relationships with your contacts will grow stronger and by “plugging back in” with your industry, you will be able to keep current with new trends and information.
- Build you professional brand – This isn't just for people in sales or marketing executives. You are trying to market yourself every time you apply for a job, so you are now engaged in marketing whether you wanted to be or not. Write out your 30 second elevator pitch so that you will be able to clearly tell someone who you are, what you can do and why they should care. Practice it until you are confident that you could deliver this speech in your sleep. Consider spending some of your time doing things that will support your brand image. This could be volunteering, tweeting about your industry or starting a blog. The goal is to be able to say “This is who I am and this is what I am about”. Think of it as creating your professional image.
Don't lose hope, I know that being out of work is really, really hard. But, when things get tough, you have to get tougher. In order to fight back, you have to get your head back in the game. Which is much easier said than done, I know, but by making it a priority to get up from your computer, and the never ending resume sending, every now and then and start networking, you'll find ways to get back that competitive edge.
Are you looking for a job in Manufacturing? Be sure to visit ManufacturingWorkers.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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