Staying confident during your job hunting process can be daunting, but is needed especially in times like these.
There is so much going on in our lives today as we try to navigate a new normal and are living and doing most everything virtually. This is surely leading people to online burnout which can make the job hunting process that much harder.
With students as well as many jobs going virtual as well as the need for social/physical distancing, our everyday lives are more than ever in front of our computer and phone screens. Making time for offline living is so much more important now, so just remember that during your job hunting process.
Also here’s a burnout self-test from Mind Tools.
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(Related: Tips To Ace Your Interview)
Preface
The best time to start job hunting is before you actually start looking for another job or thinking about a transition.
Job hunting should always be a proactive game. Even if you are going to and want to stay at your current organization.
Wouldn’t you want to know how the job landscape of your field is evolving? Or what opportunities look like in other states, let alone countries?
1. Stay Consistent. Make A plan.
Job hunting can honestly feel like another job in itself. Especially when you know you have some a time constraint.
If you want to get the best out of the job hunting process, then you should aim to have a plan that you will stay consistent to. Eliminate the dilemma of thinking about applying to a job or actually doing it. If you put in your plan that you have to at least apply to a job a day, then you better has apply to one job a day. If you put in your plan that you’ll apply to any possibility that you would love, then you better has apply to those positions.
Job hunting especially now can feel daunting and is a draining task. If you’re able to make a plan then you’re more than likely going to follow through. Write your plan down. Be accountable, goes to point 2, find a friend on the job hunting grind.
Take breaks as needed but try to have some semblance of consistency. Don’t just apply to one job a week if you’re really looking for a next job.
(Related: Career Chat with the Public Health Millennial)
2. Find A Friend On the Job Hunting Grind
The best thing to help you on the job hunting grind is a good old friend.
Find a friend, it can either be a friend who’s also job hunting or someone you KNOW will hold you accountable. Friends are just the best to have while you are job hunting. They can give you resume tips, or vice versa. You can bounce job or job hunting ideas of them. And best of all is that they are someone who can hold you accountable as well as you holding them accountable.
Job applications can take grueling hours and are completed sometimes late at night or early in the morning. This is especially true as more organizations have more strenuous application processes, no hate for the vetting techniques, but can be tough on prospective employees. Having a friend who may be doing the exact same thing can be good, if you have to text or call them while you’re in a job application process.
Friends can help to get the doubt out of your head or just a great place to freely vent. A good job hunting friend is worth more than their weight in gold. Why job hunt alone if you could do it with someone else? Get you someone that you can go through the lows, the highs and the in between with comfort.
At the end of the day, having a friend throughout your job hunting is a great way to stay on track.
3. Try To Build Connections Throughout The Process
As I said in the preface, job hunting should be a forever active thing even if you aren’t looking for a new position.
So with that being said, one of the best ways to up your chances of getting a job is have a good connection with someone at the organization. Though not always true, even if you do have a good connection that can’t “help” you the information they can you give you about what a company is looking for is invaluable. And they can always connect you with other potential job positions.
Get on informational interviews, reach out to persons on LinkedIn. Whatever your means start getting to know people and making authentic connections. Making new connections is a great way to know about new opportunities as well as just talk to about what is going on in their sphere of work.
Everyone says, “your network is your net worth,” cliche I know. But I guess there has to be some truth to it.
Get out and build new connections while you are job hunting.
4. Take Breaks (Don’t Burnout!)
A key in anything in life including job hunting is to know when is your enough.
Sometimes in life we set unrealistic plans and can start to burnout. Remember plans are only to be guidelines helping you get to an ends. If you start to feel overwhelmed and stressed because your plan was to apply to a job a day and with everything in life you are burning out – that’s not good and you should probably stop. If you aren’t feeling close to optimum (physically, mentally or any other way), then you should know that you have to cut back on something in life.
Burning out is not good for you or your long term job hunting strategy and should be avoided. Yes, sometimes you’ll be rushed to the limit to complete a job application. But when that starts becoming the norm, you should probably start to ease up on that and get a bit more grounded.
Taking breaks is great and your mind will thank you. Stick to your plan, but take breaks when needed.
5. Vent, Vent, Vent! (to the friend in point 2)
With organizational ghosting becoming hugely widespread in today’s job hanging world. It’s a pandemic in it’s own right.
You are going to get frustrated throughout your job hunting process from literally hearing nothing from a organization you applied to. You can rest a little easier knowing that this is happening to people all day everyday – a little despicable. So sometimes you feel like you need to vent, cry, or a mixture of the two – this is precisely what you have your job hunting friend for.
Don’t feel bad for venting. Job hunting is stressful and time consuming in itself, do what you have to do.
6. Keep Applying (Overqualified and Reach Jobs)
The key to your job hunting process is to keep applying, keep applying.
It’s always good to apply to jobs you are overqualified for (if you have the time and energy) as it’s a good way to prep for interviews and sharpen up your application materials and technique. Apply high, low and in-between, but especially to positions that you think are a bit of a reach. Job hunting is all about consistency and putting in the right type of work. Apply to jobs that are in your level of competence as well the ones a little higher.
Try to stick to jobs that are in the field of work that you really want to work in. Don’t switch your fields of interest on a whim, but figure out what you want to do and the why behind that. At the end of the day it doesn’t make sense to apply to a job in one specific part of the public health field if that’s not really what you want. There are and will be many new public health careers out there, even though many have taken a hit because of the pandemic, many new jobs will come about.
7. Know Deeply That Any Organization Would Be UNLucky Not To Have You
Always know that you are amazing and will be an extraordinary asset to the lucky organization that hires you.
You know yourself. You know what value you bring to a team even when an employer doesn’t see it. Don’t doubt what you are capable of and the priceless value that is yourself. Believe in yourself and approach the job hunting process with an abundance mindset.
Don’t let ghosting get to you, vent and know they didn’t hire you it will be their loss. You are on to the organization that understands the value and potential you bring to the team. There will be an organization that will see your value and what’s meant to be will be.
But at the end of the day, never forget just how valuable you are.
Summary
Job hunting can feel like a job in itself, these 7 tips will help you stay consistent during your job hunting process.
- Stay Consistent. Make a Plan.
- Find A Friend On the Job Hunting Grind
- Try To Build Connections Throughout The Process
- Take Breaks (Don’t Burnout!)
- Vent, Vent, Vent! (to the friend in point 2)
- Keep Applying (Overqualified and Reach)
- Know Deeply That Any Organization Would Be UNLucky Not To Have You
Stay on top of your job hunting and great things will come your way. Don’t forget to always be on the lookout for new exciting opportunities even if you aren’t actively looking to change jobs.
What tips do you use for your job hunting process?
