The first step to getting out of the doldrums is to recognize that you are indeed in a slump. If you are suffering from the jobseeker blues take the time out to re-energize and seek the focus, strength and inner peace you need to pursue your job search and get ahead with your career. Talk to people you trust and seek professional help if you need it.
Even if you are out of a job, structure your day with the same discipline as you would a work day. Lounging about the house being unproductive will not further your job search and will only feed your inertia and panic at being unemployed. Treat your job search as u would a full time job and approach it with the same vigor, organizational skills and discipline as you would a work day. Build into your day a multitude of tasks that will further your job search including networking activities, research activities, training activities, visits with your mentor, cold calls etc. Don't forget to document the results and make sure you stay on top of the follow-up. By organizing your week days in this strict disciplined manner you will maintain a feeling of control over the job search and lose the panic many jobseekers feel which is often directly attributed to the feeling of helplessness and loss of control over the course their life is taking.
Don't let negative types discourage or distract you from your job search. Instead, observe and learn from successful, happy professionals who are where you would like to be and enlist their support in getting there. Seek to surround yourself with encouraging upbeat people who will inspire and motivate you rather than bring you down. Enthusiasm is contagious and the more keen and confident those around you are, the more confident you will be in your strengths, abilities and marketability.
Learn from the success stories of others and the advice of motivational experts how to stay motivated. Read motivational books and autobiographies from those who have made it in the industry or line of business you are targeting or those whose lives and successes have inspired you and motivated you to accomplish and succeed in the past. There are many best-selling highly effective motivational books that come with audiotapes and you can build into your daily routine listening to them even as you drive or engage in other important tasks.
Often, it is easy to lose all confidence in yourself if your job search is extending itself indefinitely and there are no positive outcomes in sight. Whenever you think you have reached a dead end and your confidence in your abilities is waning, remind yourself of past successes even as you re-energize and rethink the strategy for your job search. Picture your last major success and remind yourself of how you got there and the feeling of euphoria that comes with a major accomplishment, then visualize yourself repeating that success in your new endeavors and outline a roadmap for getting there. You may want to keep a photo of yourself after that last accomplishment prominently displayed or on you at all times to remind yourself constantly of your capabilities.
Use this time in between jobs to learn a new skill. You may want to attend a course or read books that deal specifically with certain aspects of the job search such as interviewing skills, writing a CV, networking; or you may want to work on other areas you would like to develop whether it be confidence building, public speaking, sales, managing a team, getting along with peers, maintaining a work/life balance or just succeeding in life in general. You may also have technical skills related to your chosen industry that you need to fine-tune or have always wanted to acquire; use this time in between jobs to gain these skills and include them on your CV once you have.
Don't dwell on the downside. Set realistic short-term goals that advance your long-term objectives and on a daily basis revisit and reward yourself for your positive accomplishments for the day. These goals may include a specific number of CVs sent out, interviews gained, cold calls made, new skills acquired, professional books completed etc. Make sure your goals are reasonable and focus on achieving them one goal at a time.
Volunteering is one way to feel more useful, widen your all-important networking circle and in some cases, beef up your CV. You will enjoy the learning that comes with a new activity as well as the immense sense of satisfaction that comes with helping others if you are involved in charitable works.
No matter how strenuous and uphill the job search may be remember your blessings in other areas of your life and be thankful. Keep things in perspective at all times and don't lose sight of your successes and accomplishments.
Include exercise and relaxation in your weekly schedule as well as other means to expend positive energy, let off steam and indulge in activities you enjoy. Whether it's a daily30 minute walk around the block, an hour of power yoga, cycling with the kids after school or an hour looking after the daffodils and hydrangea in the kitchen garden, don't lose sight of the activities that you enjoy best and that maintain a critical balance in your life.
