Staying Strong During Your Job Search
Written by Sarah Ahmed and Ally Marecek October 2020
Job searching is a behemoth of a task for a student, and any student who dares to take it on is already a fighter. To fellow students who are spending hours polishing applications, networking, interview prepping, and learning in-demand skills, only to be handed 20+ automated rejection emails — I feel you. Alongside this immense amount of work and pressure, you also handle schoolwork, family issues, jobs, and other realities of life. More often than not, you have to be your own biggest fan, your own shoulder to cry on. You have to face the setbacks, stand up, and move on if you want to reach your goal, and so that’s just what you do every time. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic forces you to leave campus or maybe even the country, you keep going.
You deserve a break.
It’s the peak of recruitment season for some this fall. With this season comes some wonderful ups such as job offers, an expanding network, and learning cool new skills. Oh, but there is a dark, dark flip side to these perks. To achieve these ups, some of us have to work through personal and external barriers such as Imposter Syndrome, social stigma, financial issues, and long-term health problems. For me, the stress of the job search piled up quickly and it wasn’t long before I lost sight of why I was hustling in the first place. To prevent a complete burnout, I decided to stop flailing around Slack, postpone all Zoom meetings and put a hold on social media so I could take a breath and reflect on what I was doing with my life.
What I was doing was sacrificing my health to achieve unattainable standards that I’d set for myself. I’d gotten caught in this dangerous urge to be super productive and push myself outside of my comfort zone. I was out of my comfort zone alright. Five hours of sleep per night, missing meals, getting eye-strain from staring at my laptop 14 hours a day — what was I thinking?
I needed to start taking my self-care a lot more seriously. You might find that you’re in the same position.
Finding a job is often a marathon, not a sprint. While sprinting may work for some, burnout is an invisible wall that too many students hit when they hustle 24/7. To avoid the invisible wall of doom, it’s important to create intentional habits that keep your mind in a safe and supportive space. Here are a few beautifully simple self-care tips to help you stay resilient, strong, and sane during your job-search journey.
Finding Joy
Everyone has something that brings them joy, but we often forget to incorporate these joy-bringing activities into our day-to-day live. Here are some ways you can discover what activities bring you joy.
Do something fun from your childhood, even if it’s a bit silly! Remember being a little kid and doing the strangest activities but still having a blast? When searching for jobs and internships, we are in “mature adult mode”, but this can be a lot of pressure. Take some time to make up stupid dance moves, sing along to cringy songs, do an art project you remember from elementary school, laugh at the comics you used to read, or dress up in an outrageous outfit.
Try out a new hobby. Find “flow” activities that fit your skill level, but also give you a challenge. Look for something that will get you away from your daily routine!
Saying NO
Trying to maintain an overflowing schedule and balance ten different classes, jobs, and clubs is the enemy of students’ mental health. These are two strategies to help you find your focus.
Don’t be afraid to say no! Your friends will understand if you need to bail on Zoom movie night. Your professor will understand if you have to turn in a late assignment. Your future career will understand if you take a day off from grinding to focus on your life.
Re-evaluate what you want to accomplish. Take note of what is most important and what is giving you the most trouble before diving back in. If you are piling too much onto your plate, find something to cut out. Don’t stretch yourself too thin; set a reasonable number of goals and make sure they are realistic and achievable.
Being Honest With Yourself
Taking the time to reflect on your feelings is hard and may at first seem like a waste of time. Doing this periodically, though, will keep you mentally strong and give you the energy you need to achieve your goals and find a job you’ll love.
Be honest with yourself about how you’re doing, and not just in terms of where you stand in the latest round of interviews. When we are busy balancing school, work, and searching for jobs and internships, we may not take the time to adequately process important thoughts and feelings. You can try journaling about what you’ve been up to and how you feel about different things happening in your life right now. You can also try a daily “brain dump” where you just write a list of what’s been on your mind.
Your mental health can suffer if you aren’t taking care of basic physiological needs. If you can’t get yourself motivated or you feel as if the smallest problem pushes you to the verge of tears, step back and ask yourself:
❤️ Have I had something healthy to eat and drink?
❤️ Have I gotten enough sleep (even in the form of naps)?
❤️ Have I gotten up to do some physical activity?
Even the smallest action can make a difference. If you don’t want to make a full meal, eat some snacks. If you don’t want to do a full workout, get up and walk around your house.
Anger, frustration, and worry are all very common emotions when dealing with the uncertainty of the career search. Learn to deal with these in a healthy and productive way. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and find yourself overthinking or getting irritated, pay attention to the facts of the situation. Work out to high energy songs to let all that emotion loose or meditate with some calming music. Or even cry or scream quietly into a pillow (we won’t judge). If you let the tension build up too long, you are bound to explode one day.
Disconnecting
Sometimes the best action you can take for the job search is to take a break from the job search. Schedule time to do something other than sitting at a desk and staring at a screen.
Reconnect with your friends and family. Sometimes a simple phone call to someone you haven’t talked to in a while can really help improve your mood! You can try to check in with all your friends individually, even if it’s just through text. If you’re feeling cooped up in the same space with your family, suggest a family activity like going on a hike or having a picnic in your yard, just to be in a different environment with them.
Get outside for sunlight and fresh air. This is a great opportunity to step away from your electronic devices, soak up the rays, and enjoy a change of scenery!
Celebrate Yourself
Lastly, but certainly not the least, it’s also important to celebrate your success! Use these activities to always remember how much you’ve grown and how you will grow in the future.
Reflect on how far you’ve come since the beginning of your career journey. As you look back at your various achievements, even the small ones, think about their significance and how they helped you get to where you are now! To help keep these in mind, you can create a tangible display of photos and mementos that represent your favorite accomplishments.
Write positive lists. You can make a list of things that you are grateful for, things that make you happy, things that make you laugh, things you are excited to do in the future, fun places to travel and what you want to do there — I think you get the point now.
Taking care of your mental health is something you can and should do every day. The self-care strategies suggested above are a good starting point but are by no means one-size-fits-all solutions. Spend some time learning which strategies best fit your needs and lifestyle! Make your needs a priority so you can be better prepared to help others.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that the upcoming generation is amazingly resilient. You are powerful, intelligent, capable, and wonderful. You are capable of achieving your career goals, even if the journey isn’t what you expected.