How to handle job search stress.

So you are looking for the career of your dreams … and you know you are perfect for certain positions, but how are you going to deal with the stress caused by long job searches, not getting the interview or conducting the interview and not receiving a call back. How do you deal with these stressors and not let it distract you from your chance at the long life career goal you’ve been waiting for?

The road to finding the position that fits you and the process of conducting a job search can be stressful. The drivers behind the stress are CHANGE and UNCERTAINTY. Although changes happen throughout everyone’s life, there is a comfortable feeling behind knowing you will be stable; with being employed and receiving a steady paycheck. However, leaving from one job to the next for whatever reason brings the biggest change and uncertainty you may have to deal with. Relief can be found in having emotional support and by remaining confident during your journey to searching for the right job.

What Can We Do To Help?

Develop a stress management plan-Break down every step in your job search journey and be sure to include these topics:

1. Identify the stressors you endure during your job search and personal life- Once identified, attempt to organize or decrease some of the activities you’re engaged in that is causing stress. For example: If you are staying up late during the night to catch your favorite television show and it is causing you to be drowsy in the mornings during your job hunt or interview, organize it by conducting your job hunt later in the day or decrease it by finding an alternative to watch your favorite show.
2. Structure your day the night before to accomplish time management- Group your priorities in order from urgent to normal to routine. Then, plan your day in the most time effective way to accomplish them. Stick to your plan and do not get side tracked and when it is time for that specific activity, dedicate your focus on it, until it is time for your next activity.
3. Have a job search plan in place- First and foremost; do not take rejections too seriously. Every rejection does not mean you were not the right candidate for the job; in most cases, rejection is usually due to your resume: its content and format or the way you answered your interview questions. You may have answered a question wrong on the questionnaire or you may have forgotten to send a document such as: a readable college transcript or a copy of a certification. When you apply for a job within a certain organization, write the job down along with the dates you sent the application; check on the job on a weekly basis and pay close attention to the application guidelines if you plan to apply for multiple positions within the same organization. For example: Some organizations require you to wait 10 days between applications. If you apply for more than one job before the 10 day wait, the system will submit your original resume from the first position you applied for, to the new position and it may not be tailored to the new position.