Struggling With Job Hunting
11 tips to keep you motivated and focused during the application marathon

Finding a job can be quite draining, especially if success doesn’t come instantly. Having to deal with the fear of the unknown can be frustrating, anxious, and downright depressing.
Searching for a job can seriously disrupt your mood. In most people, a career is closely linked to identity, so looking for a job can feel like looking for a piece of yourself, and not having that piece in place can make you feel unsettled and incomplete. If you’re unemployed, you may feel that you’re disappointing others — like your parents, mentor, or significant other — which only adds to your rollercoaster of emotions.
To make things worse, looking for a new job involves dealing with rejection constantly. Even though many people warn you not to take rejection personally, it always hurts and can deplete your motivation to continue seeking a job. When you don’t get hired, you can’t help but wonder what’s wrong with you.
A job search can be stressful and anxiety-provoking, but it’s also a cycle that’s hard to break. How do you cope when you’re feeling depressed about your job search? You can effectively manage your mood during your job search so that you can make the most of your interviews and land the job you’ve been dreaming of.
Tip #1: Never take rejection personally
Nothing causes more frustration during the application process than the umpteenth rejection. Rejection is a reaction that very few people can handle confidently.
The mistake: Most people take it personally very quickly and look for the mistakes in detail, i.e. in themselves. However, you can be sure that rejection never has anything to do with your personality. Anyway, after all, the human resources person most likely doesn’t even know you.
Cancellations are simply part of the process — especially if you are applying for highly sought-after positions. Always remember that you are one of many. If 100 people apply for a job, only one will get it. The 99 others have to live with being rejected.
Note: The example of the 100 applicants is very modest. There are positions that attract several thousand prospects.
Tip #2: Quality over quantity
Almost every job seeker comes to a point where they will apply for any job that is reasonably close to their pro. However, keep in mind that many applications take a lot of time and may also lead to many rejections. So the frustration factor increases automatically.
You should better apply only to positions that really meet your requirements and wishes and for which you are 100% suitable. In other words, make the quality of your applications clear over the quantity. You will find that this is not only more effective but also increases your motivation — after all, you want to be completely convincing in the selected applications.
Tip #3: Individuality instead of uniformity
Again and again, applicants make a crucial mistake; they write a (very good) application and send it out to different companies with minimal modifications. While this saves time, it actually evokes rejections (and the associated frustration). If you want to master the application marathon with motivation, you should always make sure to write each application individually. Of course, a basic structure is allowed and also makes sense, but not only the contact person and the address of the company should be changed.
Individual application documents respond precisely to the job advertisement and underline exactly the personal advantages that are required. This also means that while you can/should clearly highlight a certain qualification in application A, it has no relevance at all in application B.
Tip #4: Prioritize businesses
Everyone who is looking for a new job has certain wishes and ideas. If a company fulfills these, it quickly becomes the secret favorite or “grand prize”. Many applicants make the mistake of applying to this company first. If the rejection comes, the frustration is extremely high.
In order to stay motivated, it is better if you save your dream employer for a bit and contact other companies first. The applications in the first phase can be understood as an exercise.
Important: Learn from the mistakes you make at the beginning that may lead to rejection. Finally, when you feel fit enough, you can venture out on your favorites. You may also have a promise in your pocket by then that will provide additional self-confidence and positivity.
Tip #5: Take breaks
An application marathon can easily stretch over several months and be extremely exhausting during this time. When you realize that you’ve reached a point where almost nothing is working anymore, it’s high time for a break. There is no point in sending out applications by hook or by crook. In the worst case, you are missing out on promising opportunities.
It is much better to give yourself a little break to take a deep breath and reorganize everything in your head. By sorting and focusing on yourself, you not only gain new strength, but also a lot of motivation. The most important thing is that you always have a goal in mind during the application marathon. This can also change over time.
Tip #6: Take the initiative
So far you have only applied for advertised positions and received one rejection after the other, right? Then simply try the unsolicited application route. This means that you apply to a company even though it is not publicly looking for new staff. If your application documents are convincing, it is quite possible that you will be invited to an interview.
Additional tips: Don’t just focus your unsolicited applications on large, well-known companies. It’s often the small businesses and young startups that react spontaneously to a convincing application and give you a chance.
Tip #7: Get concrete feedback
Receiving a rejection is one thing, an application that seems to disappear into nirvana and will never be discussed again is another entirely. Do you know that feeling of uncertainty that spreads when you receive neither a rejection nor an acceptance from a company? This can also have a long-term effect on motivation and torpedo the application process.
There is a simple trick to avoid this danger: call the company and find out how things are going. This not only gives certainty but can also ensure that you really appear on the radar of the recruiter. Who knows, maybe a harmless phone call will get you the job you’ve been looking for?
Tip #8: Document the application process
How many applications are currently out there? Who canceled? Who invited you to the interview? Which company is clearly favored? When the application marathon is in full swing, it’s only a matter of time before your head becomes cluttered.
Increase your motivation by documenting the application process as precisely as possible and always adding new features. This gives you a good overview and helps to evaluate all previous steps. You will also get the feeling that you are not leaving anything to chance, but that you are planning your job search carefully. There is also a real boost of motivation hidden here.
Tip #9: Celebrate partial successes
Were you invited to the aptitude test, but then received a rejection? At first glance, of course, this sounds like another defeat, but it is much more helpful if you see the situation as a partial success and celebrate accordingly. Anyone who only ever feels miserable will inevitably fall into the application blues. Avoid this by enjoying every little success.
Tip #10: Celebrate cancellations
Sounds paradoxical, but it can work wonders. A “Thank God, I didn’t really want to work there anyway!” or “Wow, I’m lucky again, I’ve only heard bad things about the company” can work wonders in some situations and turn the supposed defeat into a victory. Celebrating a rejection is a little psychological trick that will give you a boost and help you deal better with the rejection.
Tip #11: Let your feelings flaw
Ridicule a rejection even though you feel like crying. Of course, that’s not the best way. Anyone who pretends something to themselves and their emotional world only builds up the frustration until it explodes out of them. So, allow feelings of all kinds. If you want to cry, cry, if you want to scream, scream. Feelings are human and should never be suppressed or distorted — especially not in such an emotional process as the application phase.
Final thoughts
- Think about the situations that make you most upset or cause you stress. Having not heard back right away from an interview, for example, may send you into a tailspin of uncertainty. If you experience silence for a long time, you will lose motivation to keep searching — and you may even self-sabotage by canceling other interviews.
- As you become aware of situations and people that trigger your frustration, you can anticipate your reaction and create emotional buffers to help you cope better. Depending on how direct you are with your interviewer, you could know when to expect a response, thereby reducing the effect of that trigger.
- A job search can seem endless and can leave you emotionally drained. However, just as you wouldn’t go into work with the flu, you can’t conduct an interview without taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. If you follow these tips, you will be able to weather the storm and expedite your career progression.
Thank you for reading!
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