How to Avoid Job Search Burnout

Searching for employment can be a full-time job in itself—and as such, it can be more than a little draining. You may feel full of vim and vigor when your job search begins, but if it stretches out for weeks or months then you may quickly find yourself feeling discouraged, dispirited, and frankly exhausted.

In a word, you may start to come down with a case of burnout. The good news is, there are a few basic steps you can take to keep your spirits high, your attitude positive, and your energy flowing. These steps won’t prevent you from feeling pangs of discouragement, from time to time, but they can at least keep you focused on your ultimate goals.

1. Request feedback. Call up an old boss or supervisor, or a recruiter you’ve worked with, and let them know you’re having a hard time. Ask for some pointers on what you might need to do differently. You may not like what you hear, at least not at first, but it will allow you to walk away with some constructive feedback, rather than feeling like your job search has simply left you empty handed.
2. Change your interview answers. Once you’ve been interviewing for a while you’ll find that your answers start to sound rote or unenergetic. Think of some new ways to address common questions—personal anecdotes, maybe—and try to inject a new sense of enthusiasm into your presentation.
3. Do some research—not just into the company, but into the manager you’ll be interviewing with. Head to LinkedIn or Twitter and try to find some common ground—mutual acquaintances, a shared hobby, or something else that you can carry with you into the interview and feel confident in.
4. Remember that just getting an interview is a big deal. That may seem like small consolation, but really: The majority of resumes never even get phone calls, much less calls for an interview. Remind yourself that, if employers are at least talking to you, it’s because they recognize something of worth in you. Hang in there!
5. Finally, and as with any full-time job, it’s important to have some methods of stress relief in place. Are you working out? Devoting yourself to a hobby or volunteer cause that you find to be helpful?

A final tip: Getting a brand new resume can certainly put a spring in your step. Reach out to the Grammar Chic, Inc. team today to request a resume consultation and rewrite: 803-831-7444, or www.grammarchic.net.