3 Mental Habits That Make for a Less Stressful Job Search

3 Mental Habits That Make for a Less Stressful Job Search 3 Mental Habits That Make for a Less Stressful Job Search One of the most frustrating things for job searchers is the “hurry up and wait” that often characterizes the process. At the root of this frustration is the fact that many steps of trying to land a new position are out of the candidate’s control. You can’t make the recruiter or hiring manager get back to you quickly (or at all). You won’t know for sure if you’ll ever receive a reply after submitting your resume into an applicant tracking system (ATS) on a corporate website. And at the end of the day, you aren’t the one who makes the call about whether, after all of your efforts, you’ll even get the job or someone else will. With all of this uncertainty that surrounds looking for work, it becomes vital to take charge of something that you can control- your own attitude while job searching. Follow the ideas below to help you develop and draw on some positive mental habits to improve the things you have influence over, while accepting the things that you don’t. 3 Mental Habits That Make for a Less Stressful Job Search 1. Widen your focus beyond the challenges. As with anything in life, it’s certainly possible to over-focus on the problems you encounter during your job search while overlooking your progress. As you jump through the hoops required of creating your resume and cover letters, submitting your application, preparing for phone screens, and (hopefully) participating in multiple rounds of interviews with various team members, managers, and other decision-makers, certainly some things won’t go as planned. You might find yourself ruminating about a perceived misstep, such as an interview question that you wish you’d answered differently, and getting bogged down on that rather than the bigger picture. The first step toward overcoming negative thinking patterns is to recognize when you’re getting swept away by them. If you notice that your mind is getting hijacked by worrying over small details and berating yourself for your performance, intentionally change the channel to focus on something you feel you did right during your job search- perhaps that awesome follow-up note that you sent to your interviewers, or the fact that you had an instant connection with the hiring team. 2. Check your expectations. Because so many elements involved in finding and being offered a new position are not ones that you can directly control, it’s important to manage your expectations about the results of your efforts. If you set your expectations too high- for example, assuming that if you revamp your resume or write a stellar cover letter, you’ll be a top candidate- then you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. A smarter approach is to view each hurdle that you clear as one step closer to getting a new job- at some point. The work you do on your job search materials for a position that you want may not end up getting you that specific opportunity. But the improvements you make to your resume for one job might put you in the perfect place to land a different position a month from now. 3. Hone in on your strengths. Another poor mental habit is viewing yourself and your skills through the lens of your weaknesses. Perhaps, for example, you have most of the credentials listed in the job ad, but lack experience in one area. Don’t count yourself out of the position if you still have most of what you need to be a strong candidate. A lot of this comes down to confidence. During your conversations with the hiring team, do you see yourself as someone who can get the job done? Are you able to communicate your strengths clearly, to show the team why you’d be a great choice? Or are you letting insecurities about your weaker areas hold you back from truly shining when it’s time to sell yourself? If you find yourself slipping into thinking about areas where you could do better instead of emphasizing what you do best, take some time to write down your top strengths and career highlights to date. Review your list before each interview or conversation with your recruiter, and remind yourself of why you are the perfect fit! Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- you’ll get a month free service and they’ll get 30% off!