Tips For Staying Motivated When Looking For a Job in the Start-up World
Losing your job is one of the worst feelings, especially when you know it will be hard to land a new one. However, that does not mean that you should give up. As a matter of fact, it simply means that it's time to work more than ever before and the start-up world is the perfect place for this.
That being said, here are a few tips to ensure you stay motivated when you find it hard to land a new position during your career.
Focus on The Future
The last thing you want when growing your career is to focus on the past, dwelling on 'what you could have done better'. Instead, you should focus on your future and what you plan to do in the coming months or years. This will help you begin to plan on how you are going to make money and get your next job. Focusing on your past won't help you land a job any faster.
Ask For Family and Friends Support
Many people out there lose jobs on a daily basis. When it happens to you, it's important to know that it affects your loved ones as well. Rather than keeping the issue to yourself, it's best to ask for support from your family and friends. Keeping the issue a secret will just hurt those near you. A support group will help you get through this nerve-wracking stage and propel you forward. Keep everyone close in the loop of what is happening in your career and let them know how they can be of help.
Do Not Allow Unemployment to Define You
Even though losing a job can be the worst feeling, especially when you don't have a financial backup, you should not take it too personally or you will end up losing motivation to seek a new job. Where you work, or whether you have a job or not should not define you. Also, potential employers are more likely to hire an individual who is positive even after losing a job.
Job Searching Should be Your New Job
If necessary, you can take a week or two to relax before embarking on the job search journey. However, you should not take too long or it will become difficult to get back to your regular routine. Structure your dat and attempt to treat the endeavor like a real job. Plan out your day and have goals in order to stay on track.
Update Your Resume & Branding
Before you start applying for a new position, it's important to update your resume and ideally personal branding. Ensure your resume has your most recent work experience and update your responsibilities and skills. Ensure that you tailor the resume to the new job that you're looking for. Take a look here for examples. Additionally, improve your LinkedIn profile, which is vital in regards to professional and personal branding. A properly optimized profile will boost your visibility and enhance your credibility. Doing all this improves the chances of getting an ideal job quickly.
Leverage Your Professional Network
When you do not have a job, the strength of your network can make a world of a difference when looking for a job. Nowadays, most open positions have individuals tapping their networks and not looking on job boards. As a matter of fact, most open positions aren't advertised at all and are filled via word of mouth. The more individuals in the industry you know that know you're searching for a job, the higher the chances of landing a job. Reach out to your professional network and let everyone know that you're on the search for a job.
Stay Positive
Instead of staying negative regarding your job loss, try and stay positive. Do this by putting down everything you did well in your previous position and use it to keep yourself on a positive note while searching for another one. Confidence is essential when looking for a job.