How to Manage Job Search Burnout
Whether you’re being proactive about finding your next position or you’re looking for another job after a layoff, it’s easy to get frustrated with the job search process.
The typical job search takes approximately 6 months, and it’s common for job seekers to feel discouraged when their job search takes longer than they anticipated.
When you spend every day applying to jobs and seldom hear back from the companies you applied to, it can be difficult to minimize your stress and worries for the future.
If you’re feeling defeated and overwhelmed by your job search, know that you’re not alone: Seven in ten job seekers report feeling more stressed than usual after beginning their job search.
Although it’s not uncommon to feel stressed and burnt out during the job search, these feelings can be managed.
Read on for 4 tips on battling job search burnout.
1. Learn how to identify signs of burnout:
Recognizing the signs of burnout can help you stop it in its tracks. Whether you’ve been looking for a job for months or just started your search, educating yourself about the signs of burnout now will allow you to better manage your stress in the future.
Watch out for the following signs of burnout in yourself during your job search:
Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious about your job search and your future
Increased irritability and frustration
Decreased physical health (more aches and pains, difficulty falling and staying asleep, and changes in appetite)
Loss of motivation and feeling like your efforts will never pay off
Avoiding social interactions and shutting your loved ones out
2. Limit your job search hours:
Many job seekers feel most motivated at the start of their job search, so they spend long hours each day applying for jobs. Although spending all your time applying for jobs seems like a good method for shortening your search, it leads to burnout quickly.
To prevent or lessen burnout, limit the time you spend on your job search each day. Devoting just 2 to 4 hours to your job search every weekday is a great goal, and this shorter length of time can help you avoid overwhelm while still making progress toward your goals.
3. Take a break:
Sometimes, time away from your job search is the best way to combat burnout. If you find yourself feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, step away from your computer for a quick break. Do something you enjoy, like watching an episode of your favorite show, taking a walk, or calling a friend.
If you notice you get frustrated with your job search every day or that you’re exhibiting signs of burnout, consider taking a break for a few days. Although it might seem counterintuitive to put your job search on pause for a little while, you’ll feel less overwhelmed when you resume your search after your break.
4. Set yourself up for a win every day:
When you’re not hearing back from the jobs you applied for, it’s easy to lose sight of the positives in your life. To avoid pessimism and burnout, give yourself a win every day. Achieving something every day will help you to keep your self-esteem and self-confidence high while you look for your next job.
Your win can be career-related, like finishing a module of a course you’re taking, sending in a certain number of applications a day, or networking with a certain number of people. Your win can also be unrelated to your career, like getting chores done or reading a chapter of a book a day.
Wrapping Up
Remember: Even if your job search seems hopeless now, you will land another job.
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