How To Stay Motivated During A Longer Than Expected Job Search

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 Thank you ShopTheMint for sponsoring my outfit in this post!

As I look out the window and hear the morning rush hour, it struck me. That was my life for 6 years: waking up earlier than I want to, rushing to get out the door, and fighting traffic to get to work. I never thought I would say this, but I miss that life.

I’ve been job searching for the last month or so. While I’ve kept myself busy with working on Cubicle Chic, taking care of some important personal business (changing my last name has NOT been fun), reading profusely, and taking a lot of online courses, there are times when I catch myself feeling frustrated with how long it’s taken me to get back into Corporate America.

 This romper is $48 from ShopTheMint and I wear a size small!

I talk to friends and family about it, and they re-assure me that with my credential and experience, it’s only a matter of time and that I should be more patient.

But when it’s 10:30AM, and I’m staring at LinkedIn, Glassdoor.com, and even Craiglist and all the job applications I’ve sent out, it’s hard not to wonder “Now what? What else do I do?” Inevitably, frustration sets in because I feel like I have done everything I could, and I’m still not where I need to be.

To distract myself from this type of negative thinking and the world of despair it often downward spirals into, I started to engage myself in activities that take my mind off things but still feel productive.

1) Create a career mind map (Thank you Cultivitae)!

Are you on the right track with your career? A break from employment might just be the perfect time to figure out whether you are maximizing your potential, or if you have all the skills required to find your dream job. It’s an exercise that helps you look in the mirror at your professional self, find clarity, and identify areas for opportunities.

 This romper is $48 from ShopTheMint and I wear a size small!

2) Connect with more like-minded professionals/individuals.

3) READ.

Any reading, if it relaxes you and helps take your mind from the job search process, is highly encouraged. Plus, it gives you material to talk about when you go networking! For me, I like to read books where I find inspiration and learn things. Here are 3 books that I’ve read recently that helped keep my spirits up:

Rachel Cruze’s “Love Your Life, Not Theirs” [see a great review here]

This is a book about how to clean up your financial life. Rachel is personal finance Guru Dave Ramsey’s daughter. In this book, she teaches you 7 money habits to win with money.

When you are unemployed, the last thing you need to do is to be loose with money. I have been relatively comfortable in my situation because I am debt free, and my husband is happy to support me (for now at least, lol!).

This book also offers great advice on how to be content with what you have, and not be swayed by what we see in social media.

J. Kelly Hoey’s “Build Your Dream Network” [I’m going to try to review this book next week]

One of the best career-related books I’ve read recently. No humble bragging, and with Hoey’s credential and accomplishment, it’s amazing how modest of a voice she writes with. She transformed what I understand “networking” to be, to mean, and how to go about it. It’s a must-read for those of us who know we need to get better at networking but dread the idea of having to do it!

Marina Keegan’s “The Opposite of Loneliness” [see a great review here]

As a writer, I mean I cringe as I call myself a writer after reading this book, but I was deeply inspired by the 9 short stories and Marina’s personal story. Like a shooting star, this Yale graduate’s death was untimely and premature, but she behind her splendid work that the rest of us will admire for eternity.

It’s a must-read if you’re looking for short but brilliantly written essays about life, relationship, and everything in between.

4) Take an online course. For free!

Develop or hone in on skills that you always wanted to work on but never had the time to. Take an online class like what I’ve been doing: Udemy’s Writing with Impact: Writing that Persuades. I’m half way through this course now, I must say it’s transforming the way I write already.

A few other ones that I am intrigued to take: The Strategy of Content Marketing, U.S. History (I know, random, but I love learning things I think I know a lot about but most likely don’t!), Hamlet’s Ghost (offered by Harvard University) … to name a few!

 This romper is $48 from ShopTheMint and I wear a size small!

5) Locate your local library and sign up today!

Why? Because the library is any American citizen’s best treasure! If you’ve paid tax to the city you’ve lived in, you probably have contributed to the maintenance of a library. Take advantage of it! Not to mention that books, magazines, a lot of DVDs/movies, Wi-Fi, and AC are all FREE. I now routinely check out books I want to read from the library first, go through them, and if I love them as much as I thought I would, then and only then I buy them from Amazon.

Carve out 3-5 hours a day to go to the library, and submit all your job application when you are there! This is incredible for those of us during a job search. It helps us stay focused and creates a line between “work” and life.

 This romper is $48 from ShopTheMint and I wear a size small!

6) Go to networking events and make new connections.

For a person who draws energy from her groups and community, spending a lot of time alone never benefits me in the long run. It’s important to schedule time in your day to go out, meet new people who are perhaps also in their job search mode. I take conscious effort to find local events where I can meet with other creative and marketing professionals. The next event I’m trying to go to will be Creative Mornings in San Diego.

Do you know someone who’s currently searching for a new job? Share this post with them. I hope it will help them the same way it’s helped me!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

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