The Job of Job Hunting

Job hunting in a poor job market is far more stressful than actually having a high-stress job. Not only does it take daily determination to spend hours digging, researching, sending resumes and dealing with rejection, but you also have the constant financial pressures eating away at you, along with a loss of self confidence. With all that working against you, how do you stay motivated to keep hunting week after week?

Set parameters and stick to them: Set aside 5-6 hours, 5 days a week for job search. Specify the hours in the day that will be spent working. Structuring your time will give you a greater sense of this being a job that requires focus and attention each and every day.

Get up, shower, and get dressed: We all dream of a job that we can do in our pajamas, but you will feel, and in turn act, more professional if you are clean and casually dressed.

Set goals: Send 3 resumes, research 2 new companies, and follow up on 2 potential jobs each day. Setting goals will give you something to strive for and give you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the week. Using a resume distribution service like JobsByFax.com may help you multiply your efforts. Rather than sending a few resumes out, you can send thousands in minutes.

Mix it up: If you spent all last week job searching on the internet, plan to spend several days this week out of the house networking and meeting face-to-face with people. A change of scenery can do wonders for your attitude.

Take a break: When your 5 to 6 hours of job hunting for the day is done, then stop. Put your laptop away, take a walk, watch TV, spend time with your family, etc. Do whatever relaxes you and feel good about the hours you invested in your job search.