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job search motivation

M is for Motivation: How to Keep Your Motivation During a Job Search

job search motivation

It’s easy to get stuck in the frustrating cycle of what is known as a job search. Trust me, you’re not alone. It’s normal to feel defeated after searching for a different iteration of basically the same job over and over again.

However, with a few simple changes, you can revive your motivation to continue the job hunt. Dig yourself out of your motivational slump with these five tips.

Rework your job search to-do list

When your motivation is at an all-time low, it’s difficult to complete the same tedious tasks. Writing cover letters, customizing and tweaking your resume, and filling out job descriptions gets old after a while. To break through the monotony of your job search, rework your to-do list with a list of small numerical goals. This will keep you on the right track and help you feel productive.

For example, you can set goals for applying for 3 new jobs and connecting with 10 new contacts in your industry on LinkedIn per week. These are reasonable goals that will help you keep your expectations realistic and stay motivated throughout your job search.

It’s also helpful to physically write down your to-do list and cross your tasks off as you complete them. Doing so is surprisingly satisfying and will help keep your spirits up during the job hunt.

Get a mentor

Do you have a mentor? If not, you definitely need to find one. Mentors offer perspective, encouragement, and helpful advice that can keep your motivation high. The best part about a mentor is that they are unbiased and are cable of seeing your strengths, even when you can’t.

Mentors can give you actionable ideas on how to enhance those strengths to help remain motivated during your job search. Keep in close contact with your mentor during the search for your dream job to keep your spirits high and help lead you toward the path of success.

Celebrate small victories

It’s too easy to focus your attention on the negatives during the search. Didn’t get an offer after a job interview? It’s easy to beat yourself up over it, thinking about what you did wrong.

Instead of focusing all of your energy on the negatives, try to look at everything with a glass half full. Landed a phone interview? Awesome! Pat yourself on the back! Even if you don’t get a job offer, you should still be proud of yourself for being asked to interview. Celebrating the small victories will give you a positive mindset and help you remain motivated to land that dream job!

Take breaks

This is crucial when you have been stuck in a job search for a while. Constantly applying for jobs, writing cover letters, tweaking your resume, and checking your inbox a thousand times is overwhelming. To remain motivated (and to not lose your sanity), it’s essential to take a step away from your computer and get out of the house.

Go volunteer for a local charity, hang out with your family and friends, or simply go to the park and take a walk. Taking breaks will help ensure you don’t fall into a motivational slump throughout the job search. Set a day out of the week or a few hours each day to do something not job-related. This will keep you from losing sight of your job search objectives, and ultimately, help you land your dream job!

Job search motivational quotes

Still struggling to keep a positive outlook during the job hunt? Check out these 30 motivational quotes to keep you moving forward.

Here is my favorite one: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

Happy hunting!

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