12 Ways to Stay Motivated During a Job Search

12 Ways to Stay Motivated During a Job Search 12 Ways to Stay Motivated During a Job Search Job seekers often start out with great amounts of energy, but this enthusiasm can wane if weeks pass without landing a desirable position. How can you stay motivated during a job search and the accompanying trying times? Here are 12 effective strategies to stay motivated during a job search: Start the morning on a high note by signing up to receive a daily motivational quote sent to your inbox. Alternately, search the Internet for a few you find inspiring and write them out on sticky notes to display throughout your home. (This Forbes article has some great ones.) Dress and groom every day to set a tone that you are a professional doing valuable tasks to further your career, not someone who is simply lounging around the house. Work out regularly to boost confidence in your appearance, clear the mind, and generate some feel-good endorphins. Indulge your inner gamer with HabitRPG, a fun app that rewards productive behavior (such as sending out a certain number of resumes) and issues consequences for procrastination. Join a community of fellow job seekers for extra support and accountability. Go out for coffee with a positive friend or two; freely exclude anyone who makes you feel bad about unemployment. Give yourself one day off a week from everything related to job searching and instead plan something fun. It needn’t be expensive; an outdoor picnic or a morning spent browsing magazines at the library can do the trick. You’ll come back feeling refreshed. Join a support group of others who are trying to find jobs. Fellow members will understand what you’re going through and also can be good sources of new ways to approach the hunt. Know a few friends who are going through a job search? Host a potluck in which everyone brings a dish- and some interesting leads- to share. Volunteer! Helping others can get your mind off your own troubles. You also open up the possibility of learning new skills and expanding your network. (A study by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that volunteers have a 27 percent higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.) Take a class through a community college or park district. Having a regularly scheduled commitment will help your week take shape and broaden your horizons. Consider an online course, such as those offered for free by top universities through Coursera. You’ll keep your brain fresh, show employers that you’re a life-long learner, and have something new to talk about with friends. Create a Pinterest board (or a good old-fashioned bulletin board) reminding you of your dreams. With the hard work you’re putting in, they are bound to come true! Readers, what do you do to stay motivated during a job search? Which of the above strategies do you use? Share with us in the comment section below!