Month: April 2022

Job hunting is hard, full of uncertainty and, on occasion, rejection. Whether you’re looking to leave a current position, are a student straight out of university or college, or have been unemployed for a while, – job hunting can take its toll and have a huge impact on your life and mental health.

If you have been rejected from a job or you haven’t heard back from your application, it’s not unusual but it is frustrating. It really should be expected and dealt with as a learning curve rather than taken too personally. “If you’ve previously got every job you’ve ever gone for, you’ve not necessarily ever had to up your game. And if you’re now struggling with getting through the recruitment process, maybe it’s time to up your game.

Failure is actually a learning process, and it’s the same with rejection. See it as an opportunity to change, improve and learn.

So, instead of looking at job searching as an ominous, uncertain journey, it’s important to view it as a window of opportunity which can open new doors to a life which better suits you.

Here’s some tips on how to improve your job hunting:

1: Accept that Rejection is Normal.

To put yourself out there means opening yourself up to criticism and rejection, two things which can take a huge toll on your mental health, negatively reshaping your perception of job hunting. Essentially, you’re opening yourself up to scrutiny.

But in order to get anywhere in your job hunt, it’s important to firstly accept that rejection is normal; as we progress in our careers impressing employers can become more challenging, as they may have a considerable wish list of knowledge and specific experience they are looking for.

2: Take Control

Multiple job rejections does not mean that all hope is lost. There are certain things out of your control in job searching – such as necessary experience or the number of people applying for a vacancy BUT there are other elements that you can control.

Do your research, upskill and most of all, keep confidence in yourself and your abilities.

3: Quality over Quantity.

Overapplying when you’re desperately looking for a new role is one of the number one traps a lot of us fall into.

It could mean your applications are not as strong as they could be, potentially costing you a job. Cut down the number of applications you send out, focus instead on just the jobs you really want and doing those applications to a much higher standard, personalising them to fit each company and job role. This might involve writing a much more bespoke cover letter or tailoring your CV but it will pay off.

4: Make sure that the job is right for you.

When you’re adamant to jump into a new role, it’s important to make sure that the transition is right for you. A lot of job searchers will not double check that they have the necessary experience or might rush applications without realising the job they’ve applied for isn’t what they want or are suitable for. Read job descriptions carefully and don’t just tick ‘apply’ to every job that comes up on a website or jobboard with your preferred job title.

People’s mental health can suffer as a result of taking a job without doing their research and thinking it through enough, finding themselves in the wrong environment, or in a position they’re not too keen on, then struggling in the workplace as a result.

Taking time to reflect on your next career move and giving yourself the best chance by creating fewer, but more impactful applications gives you the power to decide what’s best for you. You must always remember that you have skills, you are employable, and just because you didn’t get the job you’d hoped for the first time around, doesn’t mean you should give up.