Seven Tips for Job Hunters

In a world like today’s people often find themselves losing their jobs, not even through faults of their own. Economic cuts mean that redundancies are being made and roles are being squeezed for more ‘cost-effective’ organisations.

Bestselling author Margie Warrell has compiled 7 tips to ensure that people bounce back from job loss.

1) Warrell suggests you ‘stay future-focused’, don’t think about your old job, why you lost that job, or how you lost that job. Focus on what you want out of the future -this could mean further study, pursuing a whole new career path or volunteering. Budget your money, forge relationships and move on from rejection quickly.

2) ‘Don’t let your job status you’- your job is not who you are, so don’t take losing it too personally -you haven’t lost yourself. Potential employers will be much more eager to take on someone who has remained positive through such difficult time.

3) ‘Prioritise self-care’- make sure you exercise or do something that makes you feel good, even if that’s just going for a walk in the park or going for a swim. Be proactive in looking for jobs and keep mentally and physically well, and talk to people.

4) ‘Surround yourself with positive people’. Warrell says: ‘Emotions are contagious.’ Try not to hang around people who will drag you down or insist on talking about your old job, how awful it is that you lost that job and when you’re going to get a new one. You don’t need that sort of negative energy.

5) ‘Tap your network’- because ‘your network is your net worth.’ Build friendships with people, make sure you’re talking to friends of friends in the business you want to go into, get on mailing lists and add people on social networking sites for updates. Stay ahead of the game by going to open events, conferences, anything you can think of where there will be a good contact opportunities. Someone may be able to help you out, or may who know someone that can.

6) ‘Treat finding a job as a job’- you may want to take a few days or weeks out every now and then if you feel you need to attack the market fresh but mostly dedicate your days (9-5) to job hunting, then return home as though you’re coming in from work. Maintaining a routine is important for mental wellbeing.

7) ‘Extend Kindness’- make a difference to someone else’s life. This may be the first and only opportunity you get to volunteer. Yes, you won’t be earning any income but you could make vital contacts, boost your mood by helping others and it will give you something to do, thus enhancing self-worth. On top of this it shows any future employer that you haven’t just been sat around.

Good luck in your job searches, don’t be disheartened by rejections and no responses and make sure you avoid all those who say ‘there’s nothing out there’- there will be.