Insights

Job hunting can be difficult and for many, can be an emotional roller coaster. You will most likely get multiple knockbacks and even be ignored many times before you find the perfect role. This can be difficult to navigate and can be an extremely challenging journey.

With this in mind, we have pulled together our thoughts on how you can stay motivated and positive during an arduous job hunt. 

Bring your perfect role to life.

Take time to define how your perfect role would look. Be creative; write about your perfect day, mind map what work means to life and create a mood board of your ambitions. When it gets tough, remind yourself of what perfect looks like and this will stop you being shifted off course.

Think before you apply.

It’s easy to fall into a process of submitting mass applications. Basically, applying for every role that looks vaguely interesting. However, this can create fatigue, increase disappointment and impact motivation and focus. It is important to remember, ‘Less is more’. Always compare opportunities to your definition of perfect - too many gaps, and it isn’t right. Remember, you’ll shine brightest in a place that fits your brilliance.

Don’t search alone.

We all have friends, family, colleagues and contacts who are there for us. Asking for practical or emotional support isn’t a weakness; people will be flattered that you asked! Identify who can help and how. Share what you are doing with them and inform them of why. The best time to build a support network is before you need one, so they are ready to help and support when you need one. 

Give yourself an edge.

Confidence can be built on knowledge and insight. The more homework you do, the stronger your position to ask and answer questions and create confidence. By consistently delivering your best, you can reflect positively and avoid the feeling of “if only “, which undermines belief.

Never stop learning.

Be prepared to learn from a knockback and question how things could have gone better. Learning from experiences helps overcome challenges next time, which builds positivity. Positivity is a mindset we develop if we always learn to improve.

Pointers for positivity

1. You are awesome

Don’t dwell on negatives. Instead look at the positives and make a plan to move forward. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining.

2. It's not personal

Never feel it's just you, many others are in the same situation. Work at becoming mentally tough, so setbacks and hurdles are tackled in your stride. 

3. Stay focussed on you.

Practice self-care and maintain your interests and activities outside of the job hunt, to keep life in balance.

4. Treat failure as an opportunity.

Everyone experiences setbacks. The only people who have yet to encounter them, never took any chances.



In a rewarding career, the destination is essential, but always focus on the journey that gets you there!