We’ve all had periods between jobs when we’ve felt the pull of daytime TV, when it’s just been so easy to stay in bed all morning. The longer you’re unemployed, the harder it is to concentrate on job hunting.
Motivation for Job Hunting
So what can you do to keep yourself motivated while you’re searching for work? Here are some tips to stop you falling into a lazy rut, or giving up altogether.
Get up early
We’re not talking about a 6am start here, but it’s not ideal to stay in bed until midday either. Set your alarm and be out of bed by 8am every morning, ready to start your day. It keeps you in work mode and stops you from developing unemployed nocturnal habits.
Set yourself achievable goals for the day
Leave aside any goals that depend on someone else and are therefore out of your hands (like getting an interview), and instead focus on things that you can definitely achieve. This includes things like ‘I will apply for X jobs today’, or ‘I will rewrite my CV today’. Keep working until you’ve achieved those goals.
Get air and exercise
Leave the house at least once a day, even if just to walk to the corner shop. Better still, go for a walk, give yourself a break from the computer and clear your head. This is especially helpful if you’re stuck on an application. By the end of your walk, you’ll probably have come up with a solution.
Have breaks
Job hunting non-stop will burn you out quickly. Treat it like a job, and make sure your weekends and evenings are your own to do with as you please, and take breaks during the day. Remember to find time to see your friends and have some human contact, so you don’t start going stir-crazy.
Do volunteer work
Taking on some unpaid work during unemployment has a number of benefits. It helps keep your mind active, it fills a gap on your CV, and best of all, it could give you a chance to gain experience in an area you’ve always wanted to work in. That could mean doing some unpaid blogging or journalism, volunteering at an arts institute or doing some charity work.
Celebrate successes
If you get an interview, treat yourself. It’s easy to get demoralised when you’re job hunting, so make sure that you give yourself a pat on the back now and then. Positivity does wonders for your chances of getting a job.
If you’re looking for a new job, you can register with Devonshire here. We’ll get in touch when your perfect job turns up.
