How To Stay Motivated When Job Hunting

As many of you will know, I spent 6 months applying for placements until I finally got one. Job hunting was extremely demotivating at times, and I was exhausted by December. But, despite this, I kept applying and going for interviews and assessment centres. Eventually, I got an amazing opportunity to work for EA as the marketing communications intern and will be starting in July.

Although I found one, I know people who didn’t even try to get one due to intense competition. I also know people who have tried but still haven’t found one. I also know some people who, like me, were lucky enough to get one. So many people just gave up as it takes so long to apply and sometimes the companies dont even respond. Here are my top tips to staying motivated when looking for a new job.

Think of the positives

Applications, interviews, assessments centres and ability tests are all things which can be practiced. As you’re applying, you’re practicing the skills needed for all of these steps, so when you do finally find the role of your dreams, you can get it. If you’re still in university, it’s vital you practice before you go out into the graduate job market, so take every opportunity as seriously as possible.

Any feedback you get from companies can also help you learn from mistakes you might have made. Maybe you were a bit too quiet in a group task? Did you get a surprise interview question? You can think of a great answer for the next time. It’s all part of your personal development and learning.

Recognise achievements

You managed to get an interview? Great, that’s fantastic. Your CV must have been good enough to get the recruiters attention. Your assessment centre group was the only group for the role? Wow, you’re one of the 8-10 people out of hundreds that was chosen to attend. You clearly have an amazing CV, it probably wasn’t anything to do with you personally as to why you didn’t get the role. Just remember that you are in fact amazing, that role might just not have been a perfect fit. Remember recruiters are trying to find someone who fits the company, role and team exactly. They’re not always based fully on your work experience.

Schedule down time

One of the main things about being exhausted when job hunting, is that you seem to be running around everywhere. I had to travel down south so many times, to the point where I’ve had to learn about the London Underground and where all the connecting stations are. When you’re rushing around everywhere, please just give yourself some time to calm down. Even if it’s just an afternoon or an evening. You dont want to be interviewed when you’re sleep deprived and cranky.

Practice and ask for advice

If you’re at university, your careers service can help you with job hunting. Whether it’s helping perfect your CV or practice interviews. They are also trained to give objective feedback, whereas friends and family may be more subjective. It’s also good to practice being interviewed by someone you dont know. Take any advice given constructively and work on making yourself even better. If you’re not at university, try asking friends and family for help, but pick someone who can be constructive.

Treat yourself

Whenever I was travelling to an interview, I would treat myself to a coffee and cake from a coffee shop. I also treated myself with chocolates, a new purse, and new earrings. It’s nice to give yourself gifts because you’ve achieved something that day. This goes back to the being positive and recognising achievements points.

Do you have your own ways to keep yourself motivated?