How to Be More Positive During a Job Hunt

Staying positive during a job search is challenging, especially if you have spent a period of time unemployed or underemployed. Feeling desperation and pressure to get out of your current situation often leads to a lack of confidence and stress that shows on your interviews. Follow a few simple hints to make your job search a little less stressful and a lot more productive.

Just staying positive is a huge help during a job search. Try your best not to ruminate on a potential employer that neglected to contact you, even if you thought it was your dream job. As the old saying goes, "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket." Keep applying and keep moving forward. What may not seem like your dream job at the outset may be the perfect job for you.

Modify your schedule and create a routine. If you have been out of work for a while, you may find it hard to get the motivation to keep applying. Treat your job search like a job. Get up at the same time every day, and take a lunch at the same time every day. Set specific job hunting goals for yourself that are easily attainable, while remaining productive. The likelihood of you getting the first good job you apply for is minuscule. Keep applying, keep networking and consider everything to be a possible opportunity.

Be prepared for awkward interview questions about your goals, your ambitions and your dreams. Make a list of your good qualities, as well as a list of your positive hobbies and the things you enjoy. You have only one chance to make a first impression with employers during your job search. Being prepared is within your control. You cannot control others' opinions of you or whether they call you back for a second interview. You can control how you feel about yourself, and it shows.

Do things that make you feel better about yourself. In your down time, clean your home. Go to the gym. Eat better. Avoid alcohol. Get plenty of rest. This standard, tried-and-true advice does hold water for many things, including exuding confidence in a job search. When you do good things for yourself, you feel better and it becomes apparent in your face and in your body language.

The way you think about yourself has a large impact on how you present yourself to others. During a job search, you want to appear confident and prepared, even if you have a wide gap in employment. Be ready for probing questions, knowing that the interviewer knows you are stressed. Passing the stress test during the interview is a clear sign that you are ready to re-enter the demands of the working world.

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