Stay ahead of the game with our top tips for staying motivated while job hunting

Have you been stuck in a job hunt for longer than you’d like? If your answer to that is yes, you’re definitely not alone. From September to November, the unemployment rate in the UK rose to 5%. The job market is ruthless right now, so how can you keep your spirits up and maintain your motivation while you try to find a job? We’ve put together 5 painless job hunting tips to keep you from becoming overwhelmed. 

Get into a routine

It can be all too easy to slip into the habit of sleeping in late and staying in your pyjamas all day, but according to psychologists, this can have a negative effect on your motivation levels. To help yourself keep momentum in your job search, get into a routine. This will help you to stay motivated. 

Tom, a recent graduate who found himself in a months-long job search, said that he treated job-hunting like a 9 to 5 job, making sure to keep getting up early but also to draw a line under the job hunt by a certain time each day. This sort of routine will help to give your days structure and purpose, allocating time for both job applications and time off. It’s also a good way to make sure that when you do get a job, you’re ready to easily transition back into getting up early! 

Set yourself clear goals

This is an essential tool for motivation. Research has shown a strong link between goal-setting and motivation, self-esteem, self-confidence and success. It’s good to write this down and lay them out clearly rather than just having vague goals floating around in your head: people who write their goals down are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to achieve them. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing more satisfying than physically ticking an item off your to-do list! Your goals could be anything from rewriting your CV to applying to 3 jobs per day. 

Keep building your skills

When you’ve been looking for a job for a long time with no luck, you can end up falling into a slump where you feel like you’re stagnating and wasting valuable time that could be spent developing your professional skills and progressing your skills. Doing an online course (see our blog post for a list of our favourite websites offering free courses) or volunteering can be great ways to feel productive, gain new skills and bring you back up to your best. They will also give you new things to talk about in your job interviews so that you don’t feel like you’re just having the same conversation a million times and getting nowhere. 

Give yourself time off

You’ve probably heard it said that job hunting can be a full-time job in itself, and it can certainly start to feel that way if you’re setting yourself a 9 to 5 job search schedule. Make sure that you are also taking time off from it. Thinking and worrying about applying for jobs in your every waking moment is a surefire way to experience job hunt burnout, which will decrease your motivation. You don’t need us to tell you, looking for a job is exhausting! Give yourself a break from trawling the job boards and find enjoyment in between the applications. 

Maybe work on some creative hobbies you don’t normally have much time for, or try out some new ones. Studies have shown that there are plenty of health benefits to taking up creative hobbies, such as improved mental health and increased brain function. And who knows, maybe you’ll find a new passion!

Make a list of your achievements

When you’re focusing on all the things that you want to achieve, it can be easy to forget about the many things you already have achieved. Long-term unemployment and job searches typically have an effect on your self-esteem, even if your lack of success is due to factors beyond your control, such as an oversaturated job market, and Covid-19 has created many such factors, unfortunately. Take some time to give yourself credit where it’s due and acknowledge the amazing things you’ve done. Doing so will remind you that you are capable and you will get to where you want to be, even if it’s taking more time than you’d like.

We hope these tips help you to stay positive and get through this difficult period. We regularly share job listings on our LinkedIn page, so make sure you’re checking for new opportunities so that we can help you find the light at the end of the tunnel.