Most professionals experience stress in their jobs, whether it is managing people or projects, as well as balancing work/life demands. When unemployed the stress levels can seem overwhelming. It may be hard to keep your spirits up when facing the unknown. Here are a few tips to help:
Focus on substance. Don’t let the little things stress you out. Sometimes these can be the very things that can set you on edge, but in the scheme of things, they don’t really matter. Instead, focus on the things that do count like how you will respond to interview questions to show that you’d excel at the position.
Take a break from job search. While looking for a new job is a full time job, you need to decompress once in a while or you can become frustrated or depressed if the job search is not going as you expected. Everyone needs to be refreshed from time-to-time. Take a walk, watch a movie, or whatever you like to do to that will take your mind off job search, even if it is only for a few hours.
Don’t obsess over results or lack thereof. So you didn’t get the offer. Many factors could have contributed to that decision. There is no real way to know for sure why you were not chosen. If you are confident in your interview style, information related on your resume and other career materials, you can be assured you did the best you could, and simply might not have been the best candidate based on all considerations.
Don’t try to read between the lines. This is a particularly hard one to follow. People take it personally if they don’t hear back from an interviewer or recruiter. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in a day to respond to everyone’s emails and they go unanswered. Or if you don’t hear back from an interviewer regarding a recent interview, the decision for callbacks or an offer may be taking longer due to events on the corporate side.
Practice Patience. A lot of patience is needed when in job search mode. The first few months of the year see peak hiring and then momentum slows down throughout the rest of the year. Plan for a longer search time later in the year than in the first quarter. Don’t assume you are doomed to unemployment if you don’t take the first offer that comes along. Have confidence the right position will come along.
