How do you stay positive during your job search?
First of all, obviously any job search is an emotional rollercoaster.
You get that call from a potential job and you're high.
The interview doesn't come through and you're really not feeling good.
There are days when nobody calls you and you just feel terrible.
So what do you do about all that, so that when that right opportunity presents itself,
you're ready, you're positive and you're up?
First of all, you need to think about taking care of yourself.
Not just taking care about the job search but taking care of yourself.
And this can mean getting some exercise, which is a known anti-depressant on top of the fact
of getting outside and getting a little fresh air or doing something that you really enjoy,
pick up game that it might be, helps you just to feel better physically.
Then you want to really think about the importance of making sometime for fun.
Now I can hear you say, but Patra I can't spend a lot of money.
You know you can't, but not all fun costs a lot of money.
Can you get together with some friends?
Can you go and have a picnic?
Is there a local art museum or something that interests you in sports?
Something else that you can do that you really enjoy?
Maybe it's a picnic down in front of a free band program at your local recreation center.
Pick something that you enjoy.
For me a good book solves a lot of problems.
So, whatever it might be, pick something you enjoy and make sure you make time for it within
your job search.
Then make sure that you're making time for your friends.
Now sure, some of your friends maybe are helping in your job search and you don't have to burden
them too much.
But believe me, many of them are waiting as much for you to call them as you're waiting
for them to call you.
So pick up the phone and talk to a good friend, send them a funny joke by email, get together
and have a cup of coffee, whatever works for you.
But be sure that you're connecting with human beings who are not in the mode of your job
search connections.
Not that those aren't important.
And you, also, can help other people.
Now, I've talked in another one of these videos about what anybody can do to help their friends
who are in a job search.
And that applies to you.
When you're in a job search you can also help other people who are in a job search.
Or you can volunteer at a charity of your choice, or you can tutor students that you
know are having difficulty because your local schools are looking for tutors.
Whatever it does helping another person helps you to feel better.
In some cases some of that type of work may be really useful to you as a way to talk about
what you've done while you've been unemployed.
Thinking about staying positive in a job search doesn't mean some phoney rah rah when you
feel like blah.
It means taking care that you're doing the things you need to do so that you can make
it through this emotional rollercoaster period and be successful in your job search.
Reach out to your family and friends.
Ask for the help you need.
Take care to make yourself more active and more positive.
It really will help you mentally, physically and in your job search.