The sad truth is that some of you are still looking for a good position as the pandemic continues to impact hiring and employee retention. And if you were laid off earlier, you must be feeling job-search fatigue – the dreadful tiredness that comes from sending out applications and attending interviews, but never getting any favourable replies.
With the new year can come a new surge of energy, but how to make it last? We’ll tell you now that some jobseekers apply in “spurts”, sending out a huge blast of applications, then feeling so exhausted they have to rest. This is not the way to go.
As a jobseeker, you should aim to cultivate resilience. This refers to the ability to plan, and endure, for the long haul to finding your dream job. Resilient people are not betting on the quick fix or sudden lucky break, but the culmination of long experience and slow effort.
We’ve compiled five habits of resilience that should help you, the jobseeker, stay the course in your job search into 2021:
- Build networks
No man is an island, and job searching alone leaves you prey to loneliness and despair. Instead, involve other people in your search. While they might not be able to do the applying and interviewing for you, friends and family can help you source for positions, look through your CVs and cover letters, or just provide an encouraging word or two. Trust us, it makes all the difference!
- Focus on what you can control
The pandemic sometimes has us feeling like everything is beyond us. That’s not the case at all, and it’s better to focus on what you can do than things outside our purview. For example, rather than worrying about how your six-month gap will turn off potential employers, work on phrasing it well in your resume and practise answering questions about it. That way, when you’re being interviewed for the job, your answer will flow smoothly and impress the hiring manager.
- Use positive self-talk
How we think affects how we act, and how others see us. If you send in an application thinking, “this one won’t get through anyway”, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Instead, remind yourself why you want this particular position and what makes you such a perfect fit, then show it all in your cover letter (and interview).
- Learn from your mistakes
If you’re rejected from a job, take a minute out of the frustration to reflect on why. (If the interviewer still seems friendly, you may also wish to ask what he or she was unsatisfied with.) Then, armed with new knowledge, you can try harder for your next position.
- Focus outside yourself
Many job opportunities some from organic connections, be they on job portals or your hobby group. Resilient jobseekers cultivate connections outside themselves and their job search. Many of them volunteer, or help friends and family business. You may also want to take up a professional course, or join an interest group.
If you are facing the job search into the New Year, take heart and keep yourself in the game. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!