Job searching can be daunting, especially with the drawn-out hiring timelines in the current market. It’s no longer a practical approach to send out resume after resume to listings you find on job boards. Candidates need to be strategic and proactive in their approach. It also takes resilience to keep a positive mindset during a stressful, vulnerable time like job seeking.
Whether you’re a recent graduate, looking for a career pivot, or seeking new opportunities in your field, this three-part blog series will cover six steps to help you jumpstart your job search as we move into 2025. If you’re looking for additional support with your job search, these six steps are the building blocks for our next Job Seekers Mastermind cohort, which kicks off in January 2025!
Staying Motivated
Job searching often feels like an emotional rollercoaster. Rejection emails, silence from recruiters, or lack of feedback can be incredibly demoralizing. My clients share their feelings of being stuck in a negative vortex, feeling alone, stressed, and unable to relax or practice self-care because they feel pressure to be job hunting 24/7.
The key to staying motivated is maintaining a positive mindset and developing a routine that keeps you on track. In my recent appearance on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, I discuss the importance of celebrating small wins along the way, such as landing an informational interview or getting a response from a recruiter. One idea is to create a “yay” folder, where you take a moment to reflect at the end of the day and jot down what you accomplished and what you’re most proud of. When you’re on the job hunt, sometimes you reach the end of your day, and it’s like, “What did I even do? Did I even move the needle forward at all?” Keeping track of all the effort you put forth can be a powerful way to improve your intrinsic motivation and boost your mood because you’re accounting for the hard work you put in every day.
In addition, establishing a routine and scheduling focused job-search time on your calendar is a crucial way to keep your job search from taking over your life. Block off chunks of time throughout the week dedicated to applying for roles, contacting people on LinkedIn, and having informational interviews. It’s equally important to block off time when you can incorporate self-care into your daily routine—whether exercising, zoning out in front of the TV, or spending time with loved ones. Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint, and continuing to find ways to fill your cup helps to build your resilience.
Combating Isolation & Building Accountability
A powerful way to build and sustain momentum in your job search is to tap into the power of community. My clients often ask for support to address their overwhelming sense of isolation as they’re job-hunting. If someone is at home applying for jobs, they typically don’t interact with many people throughout their day. The sense of isolation is reinforced when they don’t hear back after sending resumes or messaging hiring managers and recruiters. Feeling alone and isolated contributes to the negative vortex and makes it hard to stay motivated.
One way to combat isolation and boost your motivation is to build community around you. When we connect with other people, it releases endorphins and helps boost our mood. When setting up your job search routine, make it a priority to schedule time to be with others, whether in a social setting or a job-searching capacity.
One possibility for leveraging community is to get an accountability buddy. When I was last job hunting, I felt stressed and overwhelmed by all the small “shoulds” I needed to accomplish throughout the day. It left me spinning my wheels and unsure of where to start. I knew someone in my circle who was also job hunting and reached out to them to set up an “accountabilibuddy” partnership, where we had regular meeting times throughout the week. These meetings provided added support and motivation because I set goals and shared them with someone else. I also had pre-scheduled time throughout my week when I’d be working alongside someone else and getting the chance to be social.
Another idea is to participate in a group coaching program. At Talent Career Coaching, I run a Job Seeker Mastermind group, an intimate program where a small group of job seekers get support from a career coach and each other. The group meets once a week to learn tips and tricks tailored to their needs, share their challenges and successes, and set goals for the week ahead. In between group sessions, participants have 1:1 check-ins with a career coach and weekly meetings with an accountability buddy from their cohort. Building community with other job seekers helps people boost their self-esteem and confidence and get added external motivation and accountability as they work towards their goals. As one participant shared, “It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one struggling. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with others in the same situation and learn about new approaches to job searching.”
Interested in combating isolation and building accountability as one of six participants in the next Job Seeker Mastermind cohort? Apply here. We’re kicking things off on January 8th, 2025!
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