Job hunting can be a soul-crushing process—to say the least. In a fast-paced society where the average job lifespan is about 2.2 years (Dan Miller 23), people are constantly on the lookout for the next stop on their career journey. This means, continual competition in the job market.
The average length of time it takes to land that dream job is about 6 months to 2 years (3 months if you hustle like crazy), which can vary depending on many factors like your location of hunt, your network, age, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141110011040-4524580-how-long-will-your-job-search-take-longer-than-you-think) Yes, job hunting can be discouraging, so how do you keep trekking when you see a timespan like 6 months to 2 years staring you in the face?
You look on the bright side!
No, this isn’t just scheduling in extra whistling time into your already insane job-hunt-inundated schedule. However, it’s crucial to expand your hunt to also include the acquisition of positive influential tools that will keep you hustling even when you feel like the job market is salting your game.
First, you may be asking what makes positivity so important during this time, other than pretending that everything is great when you feel the complete opposite. Since you are human, you, like everyone else, attach too much self-esteem and worth to your job (Dan Miller pg. 119) so it’s natural to feel discouraged. Research even shows that unemployment can elevate peoples’ risk of increased physical and emotional problems, which can even drag out the job seeking process due to lack of motivation (Dan Miller 120).
Now, these tools will not alone get you the job, but they will dramatically increase your emotional and physical well-being, which has been proven to make candidates appear more attractive, confident, and capable to employers. Here are the top five most influential tools:
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Surround yourself with a supportive social network. It is important to find people your trust to process what you’re going through. Speaking candidly about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences is healthier than dealing on your own.
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Maintain exercise and good nutrition. In times of increased stress, the first thing to go is diet and exercise. But when you take care of yourself, you feel better mentally and physically and even present yourself so to others. Jackpot.
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Increase your knowledge about the job process. The more you know, the more you equip yourself with tools that allow you to feel more in control and proactive instead of helpless.
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Give back. Focusing out by giving back to others can allow room for perspective on where you are at in life and how, no matter where you are, you can always make an impact.
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Always remember the Golden Hour. Henry Ward Beecher referred to the first hour of each day as, “[T]he rudder of the day — the golden hour” (Dan Miller 68).What you fill your brain with in this first hour can either make or break the tone for the day. Filling your mind with positive words from your favorite author, poet, etc. can train your mind to block out the worries and start seeing life as one big opportunity.
So if there is anything to remember from this article, take this away—this time is like an important crossroad—you’re being tested. You can either choose to look into an empty abyss devoid of any hope or you can stare into a canyon full of endless possibilities, pull up your bootstraps, get off the couch, turn off Ellen, and seize. That. CAREER.
