5 Ways to Not Feel Overwhelmed By Your Job Search

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It’s easy to get quickly overwhelmed when it comes to your job search. But take a deep breath, dear grasshopper, because like anything else, it can be broken down into manageable chunks. Here are five tips you can use to feel on top of your game and kick that overwhelmed feeling to the curb.

1) Do One Thing Every Day

Chinese Philosopher Lao-tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You can apply that same principle to the process of securing a job. Instead of fretting about the overwhelming process of writing a pitch-perfect cover letter and resume, standing out from the thousands of other resumes a company receives, landing an interview, nailing the interview, going through more interviews, etc., it’s a good idea to set a goal to do one thing each day. On one day that might be reaching out to a friend of a friend for an informational interview. Another day it could be meeting the person for the interview. And on another it could involve sending your cover letter and resume to a company. No matter what it is, make sure you take one step every day so that it feels like you are moving forward in your job search.

2) Check for Job Postings Daily

You know you need a job, so you should make it a priority to check job sites, company listings, a company’s Twitter feed, Craigslist and LinkedIn on a daily basis. Integrate it into your day so it becomes as routine as checking your e-mail or updating your Facebook status. Sometimes jobs are posted and they stay up for weeks. Other times a job posting at a sought-after company who is hiring discretely on Craigslist could disappear. Make sure you are the one to find the jobs that others might not see by forming this one simple habit.

3) Make a List

Our first tip recommended that you do one thing every day to help keep the momentum moving forward in your job search. A great way to keep track of your progress is to make a list. Write down the day and the action you took. This way if you start to feel discouraged about  your job search, you will see all of the progress you’ve made. Remember, every cover letter and resume you send out is an opportunity, so it’s a good idea to keep track.

4) Set Weekly Goals

Remember how your goal used to be making it through college with a degree in hand? Well, now your new goal is to find that perfect job that you can’t wait to start every morning. If you set a goal for yourself each week, you will be able to track your progress. And every time you end up reaching your goal, it will give you a boost of confidence in your job search. One week your goal might be to fine-tune your resume. Another week it might be to set up three informational interviews within your industry. You get the idea.

5) Finally, Take a Deep Breath

By following these steps you’re organizing your job hunt goals, tracking your progress and taking one step each day toward fulfilling your ultimate objective — landing a job. Keep in mind that looking for a job is like training for a marathon. By just pushing yourself little by little every day, you’ll have the offer of your dreams in your hands before you know it.

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