Job Hunting - A disheartening experience?

In all honesty no one enjoys the trials and tribulations of a job search. It can be stressful, frustrating, intimidating, and can bring with it feelings of depression or demoralisation.

However, you must be positive, no one is going to hire a negative or desperate candidate who appears to have a giant chip on his or her shoulder.

To be successful you must deal with the negative emotions you feel when you receive a knock back. You must lift yourself out of any of the downs you feel and demonstrate positive energy, motivation and a determination to achieve your goal.

A job search and indeed actually changing jobs can be a difficult, often traumatic experience. No matter how old we get we can all empathise with the first day syndrome. It is as though all sense of time disappears and we let go of our mother’s hand once more for that first day at school. Insecurities and fears come to the fore as we prepare to face unknown colleagues and attempt to build relationships with peers we barely know.

In addition to this is fear of the unknown; the usual questions are what if I don’t like it? Can I leave again within a short space of time? What financial implications does this move have? How will it look on my resume if I leave almost immediately?

The answers to these arguments are made all the more pertinent by the fact that in the current climate, jobs are not as plentiful as 12/24 months ago.

Again, this drives you back to your research and urges you to perform a comprehensive analysis of each position you are considering. Treat the entire process as you would a project you have undertaken, consider all options before you submit an application. It is far easier to choose not to continue rather than accept a position, realise it is not for you and begin again.

Focus on the positive aspects, define your ideal role, and format your resume to detail your skills and strengths, be optimistic and accept nothing less than the best for you.