Especially if you’re not consistently hearing back from companies to which you apply, the job search can be one of life’s most stressful experiences.
A lukewarm job market can negatively impact your confidence and leave you wondering what you can improve to better your job opportunities. If you’re unemployed, financial worries can amplify your anxiety even more.
There are tips and tricks you can incorporate into your search to keep your head. You’ll be happily employed before you know it.
Consider New Industries
Maybe you have a background of customer service within the retail industry. You’re great with people and take pride in maintaining customer relationships. Just because you’ve specialized in retail settings doesn’t mean you couldn’t bring the same skill set to the legal, entertainment or manufacturing industries.
Keep your options open when searching for a job or you could pigeonhole yourself into a job sector that may limit you professionally. Create two separate resumes: one for the retail industry and one that indicates you’re open to transitioning into a new setting. This will help recruiters and hiring managers get a sense of your specific goals.
Maintaining a positive, flexible approach to your job search can help you make new connections and feel confident about taking on new challenges.
Don’t Over-Analyze
It is human nature to wonder why you’re not getting the attention you feel you deserve. You put in the work of finding an open position, tailor your resume for it and submit your materials. Then the waiting comes. The longer you wait, the more frustrated you become. It’s during this time that your mind can wander.
Does your experience not match what the company is looking for? Are you lacking some kind of training or project experience called for by the job? Sometimes asking yourself these questions can do more harm than good, and it’s best to stay focused on your objective: finding a job.
Keep plugging away with your job search and stay positive. It’s impossible for you to figure out what a hiring manager is basing his or her decisions on. The job could have been awarded to an internal employee with more experience with the company’s processes. Maybe the job announcement has been extended.
Regardless, staying focused on what you can control can help you maintain a good outlook on your opportunities to find a new job.
