HOW TO MANAGE JOB SEARCH STRESS

I  first wrote this article for 10 Minutes With, a global education and career matchmaking platform with Headquarters in the United Kingdom.

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Job search could be stressful. From anxiety over a fast approaching interview to fear of failing an aptitude test, and to frustration after receiving a rejection email, you can experience different triggers of physical and emotional stress during the job-hunting process.

But it’s not a hopeless situation. The following time-tested tips will help you to effectively manage the stress that comes with searching for a job.

1. Have a plan

Not knowing what to do next is the number one cause of emotional stress. And the only way to avoid getting stuck at any point during your job search is to have a clearly-defined plan for the whole process.

Create a long term plan, bearing in mind that it might take several months or even more to land your dream job. Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. That is, define what you would like to have achieved by the end of each day, week, and month.

For example, you could plan to go through at least 5 fresh job openings on a daily basis, apply for at least 10 job positions on a weekly basis, and make at least 25 new networking contacts every month.

2. Be persistent

Sticking with a plan—even after nothing seems to work—could be very difficult. But it can be achieved through persistence. Don’t relax or slow down on your various efforts. Rather, you should remain consistent until you achieve your ultimate goal—to get your dream job.

3. Be optimistic

Having a positive mindset about the whole job search process could make all the difference between a hopeful job seeker and a frustrated one. So, you’ll need healthy doses of optimism to keep you going.

Rather than brood over a rejection email for hours or hit your head on the wall for performing badly at an interview, encourage yourself with the reminder that you still have many other chances. Also find other ways to make yourself happy after each frustrating moment.

4. Keep yourself healthy

During the job search process, most job seekers don’t pay adequate attention to their health. Rather than spend hours wondering when that dream job will come, sleep deeply for hours. Rather than nursing negative thoughts that only build up tension in your body, take some time out to engage in exercise and other tension-relieving activities.

Truth is, if you don’t take adequate care of your health, you’ll only add up to the stress you already feel.

5. Get support from friends and family

Each time you feel down, communicating with some friends or relatives could wonderfully get you back in a fine state of mind. But you can only get that result if people around you understand your situation, give you all the attention you need, and keep encouraging you.

However, if you’re surrounded by “toxic” people who would constantly remind you that job search is a game of luck and that only people with “connections” get the good jobs, then you need to flee. Those people will only feed you with pessimistic thoughts until you give up on yourself.

By keeping these five tips in mind and implementing them, you’d find the process of searching for a job much easier than you ever imagined.

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For my and other global education and career experts’ articles on similar subject, check out 10 MINUTES WITH BLOG.  10 Minutes With is an innovative global career matchmaking platform built for graduates with offices in London, Beijing and Singapore. Partners include established brands and top academic institutions in more than 23 countries and 3 continents.