First of all…congratulations on graduating! You’ve worked hard and you’ve earned your degree…what an achievement. Now begins a whole new chapter of your life, and first thing on the list is: Get a job.
It can be a daunting and scary time, and for most people it doesn’t come easy. Getting your first job can be a difficult and exhausting task and often it can feel like you’re getting nowhere with your job search. But don’t fear! All your hard work will pay off, as long as you stick at it.
Here are my top tips for staying motivated when looking for your first graduate job:
1) Treat it like a full time job:
It’s so easy to become lazy and unmotivated during your job search simply due to a lack of routine. This is why it’s so important to set yourself timescales. You should treat your job search like a full time job. Start at 9 and end at 5 and allow yourself a one hour lunch break. Doing this will keep you motivated and will keep you productive.
2) Don’t punish yourself:
It can feel very isolating to be unemployed and looking for a job – but one thing that’s important to do, is to continue having a life and doing other things. If your friends are going to the pub – go the pub with them. You shouldn’t feel as though you should be applying for jobs every second of every day (although it’s hard not to) and you should still appreciate your downtime.
3) Talk to peers:
Chances are, many of your peers are going through the same thing. Discussing your job search with people in a similar position can help you feel more positive in your situation.
4) Network:
Don’t rely purely on applications to get you a job. You need to be ALL IN. Attend networking events, email interesting people – just get yourself noticed in a different way.
5) Re-evaluate:
If you hear yourself saying ‘I’ve applied for 2,300 jobs and I’m still unemployed!’, you obviously need to change something up. By changing your approach, you may see opportunities coming in from places you never expected.
6) Don’t take it personally:
If you receive rejections from companies, it’s a natural reaction to take it personally and feel a great deal of disappointment. The trick to staying positive during your job search is to make sure you don’t take it personally. Remember it’s all a learning curve, which leads me onto my next point…
7) Remember it’s a learning curve in itself:
Every time you apply for a job, don’t get an offer or mess up an interview – don’t forget that you’re learning something from it. Now this is a point easier said than done – but treat all the difficulties like they are little lessons of life. Each interview that doesn’t work out, makes you more prepared for the next one. Treat every experience in a positive light, even if it get’s hard.
8) Celebrate the little things:
If an employer compliments you on an aspect of your CV, celebrate! If you get an interview – celebrate! If a potential employer responds to your introductory email – celebrate! It’s important to remember each of these small steps is actually part of the bigger picture, and that you should celebrate each tiny progression. Keep your job search positive!
9) Ask for feedback:
If you feel like you’re getting nowhere with your job search then why not ask the places you applied for feedback. Even if they can’t, there’s no harm in asking – and you might just get some really useful feedback.
10) Be patient:
It’s not going to happen overnight – so be patient in your job search. It may take some time but you’ll get there eventually!
Do you have any other tips for keeping motivated during a job search? Let us know by tweeting them to @UndercoverRec
