How to Stay Motivated When Job Hunting Gets You Down

Date Posted: 12/19/2017

Sometimes the job hunt can be exhausting. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you feel like you’re spinning your wheels for weeks, or even months, with little to no traction. Yung mapapaisip ka kung makakakuha ka pa ba ng positive result sa mga na-aplayan mo. If you’re currently in the process of changing jobs, branching into a different area of your field or even taking an entirely new route in your career, these five tips will help you to stay organized and focused until you land your next big role.

Stay organized with an excel spreadsheet

Organization is key to avoid burnout. If you’re applying to a large number of jobs overseas, you need to have a personalized tracking system which you can update periodically and stay on top of all your current applications, follow-ups, dates and more. A simple way to do this is by starting a spreadsheet in your Google Drive and creating four main categories: position applied for (title), company name, date applied and date(s) followed-up. Doing this will ensure no potential overseas jobs slip through the cracks and will allow you to follow-up with your applications on the appropriate dates.

Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up

Speaking of follow-up, following up on a job application is crucial to your probability of success for landing a job. Unless you want to drown in the sea among hundreds of other resumes, cover letters and competitive applicants, you need to find a way to stand out in the crowd and keep yourself at the forefront of your potential employer’s mind. The answer? Follow-ups, follow-ups, follow-ups. A smart way to follow up is including a sentence at the bottom of your cover letter thanking the company for their time and telling them you will automatically follow up seven days after submitting your application via call or email if you do not hear back from them before. Then, all you have to do is write down the specific date in your excel doc and be sure to follow up with them on the day you promised. If you still do not hear back, wait a few more days and call again. This tactic is not annoying; it shows the employer you want the job and are committed to doing what it takes to land it.

Apply for jobs you don’t feel qualified for (and learn as you go!)

Perhaps you’re spending your time applying to many “safe” and “reasonable” jobs you feel comfortable with, but are still not hearing back from anyone. Maybe you’re not applying to a lot of overseas jobs you see because you feel your qualifications don’t meet their standards. But here’s the thing: what’s the risk in trying and just seeing what happens? See a job listing requiring skills you don’t have? Learn them! Find a way to acquire more of those skills through an online course or certification and teach yourself. There’s plenty of free resources out there, and Google is king for knowledge and learning. Instead of being intimidated by specific qualifications, take it as a learning opportunity to expand your skillset and learn as you go.

Expand your network

So many job opportunities are spread through word-of-mouth referrals. How big is your network? Are you utilizing meetup websites and groups to their fullest potential in order to expand your network and enhance your probability of success? Make a point to make five new contacts a week, and then tell your connections you are looking for a job in a specific area. Apply to Ikon since we have a lot of new overseas jobs coming up all the time. You never know what will happen when you start putting yourself out there and letting people know you are available in the job market!

Avoid burnout with breaks and rejuvenation

As with anything, it’s important to take time to mentally unplug from your job search and do things that will give you the space to recharge and rejuvenate. Job hunting can be emotionally, mentally and even physically taxing, so scheduling in times to refresh your spirit can make all the difference for long-term motivation and success. You will most likely find that taking a break will allow you to hit the ground running even harder, as well as keeping you going in your overseas job hunt until you get the job you’ve been searching for!