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My recent blog post focused on new college graduates who are entering their first professional job search during this time of market uncertainty. I wanted to provide encouragement and guidance to those new grads and to anyone who is job searching in a down market right now. Companies are still hiring, but there is more competition for fewer jobs, and it’s taking longer to land that next job. The unemployment rate for new college graduates is rising, and lots of people are hunkering down in toxic jobs because it doesn’t feel worth it to search for something else. All of this can lead to feeling completely discouraged. Every day, I work with job seekers who are feeling discouraged because their efforts don’t seem to be paying off. They are following all the great advice: tailoring their resumes, identifying their target companies, watching every YouTube video about how to uncover the hidden job market, and networking till the cows come home (I just realized this might be one of those phrases you only say if you grew up in Wisconsin). And still, the interviews are slow to trickle in. Or they have multiple interviews with a company only to hear nothing back – not even a rejection. I am often the person who says to them, “Your resume looks great. You are doing everything right. Keep going.” And I know they feel like a drowning person, and I’ve just complimented their backstroke and told them to keep swimming. How do you keep job searching when you feel discouraged Discouragement kills motivation. It steals your joy and makes it harder to have hope for the future. It can spill over into depression and affect your mental health. It can make it almost impossible to keep doing unpleasant tasks, and most job-searching tasks are not that much fun. Let’s skip past all the good advice about “Changing your mindset,” “Believing in yourself,” and “Keeping your eye on the goal.” When you’ve found yourself in that dark hole of discouragement, there are few simple solutions and no quick answers. I encourage you to take a minute to consider 3 questions: 1) What am I most discouraged about? Reflect on what is getting you down. What is making you feel most powerless? Take the time to name it. Is it the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen? Financial fears? Not feeling confident that you are a competitive candidate? Worried there are no jobs for you? Procrastinating and feeling bad about yourself? Naming it doesn’t change it, but it helps you contain it. Once you name the problem, you can then begin to figure out what to do about it. 2) How am I reacting? How are you reacting to the discouragement? What is your typical reaction to stressful situations? Some people tend to internalize and take the stress in, assume everything is their fault, and beat themselves up. They may wallow in the despair and feel sad and overwhelmed. Others tend to externalize and tap into their anger, frustration, and rage. They may focus on how unfair the system and how it feels like the deck is stacked against them. Most of us do some of both. 3) What do I need next? Finally, tune into what you need emotionally, physically, relationally, spiritually, etc. Focus on what you need in the current moment and on what you can control. What do you need to keep putting one foot in front of the other? Figure out what you need in this moment to feel more hopeful. Is it putting aside job searching for the day or is it putting in some job searching time today? Is it spending time with someone you love? Is it alone time to nurture yourself? Is it petting your dog and eating some good food? And if you are feeling stuck or unable to get yourself out of the discouragement hole, seek out career or mental health professionals who can help.
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