This is a guest post by Adarsh on surviving the jobless phase in your life. You can read the guidelines to guest posting at our write for us page.
Even after the big recession, getting jobs isn’t that easy anymore.
Most people, when they are fresh out of college end up as job seekers because very few colleges have good placement facilities. Even in colleges that have a lot of companies coming in, not all of the students are offered jobs.
When people are actively looking for jobs, after a month or two, they start to get frustrated. They either see their peers with nice jobs or they are under huge pressure from parents for not getting a job. All of these can negatively affect the life of the job seeker.
How to Survive the Jobless Phase of Your Life?
After months of job search, when people don’t end up with jobs, their morale goes down. They are no longer confident of their abilities and are desperate to land any job they can get. This is usually the time when most people make bad career choices.
Here are some tips to survive the jobless phase and still make the right career choice.
#1: Accept Your Situation
Most job seekers don’t try to really understand and accept their situation. They simply go on applying to any job they can find without giving proper thought to it.
The first thing you need to really do is understand what your situation is and accept the truth. Yes, you need a job. But that doesn’t rule out other possibilities like entrepreneurship, higher studies, and so on.
#2: Have Clear Goals
Every personality development guru will tell you that setting goals is absolutely essential for success. Although everyone is good at setting goals, most people never get to complete theme.
Here are some tips to set goals when hunting for jobs
- Set a goal as to how many jobs you’ll apply to each day
- Make a goal as to which companies you want to work for
- When you set goals, make sure they are specific. Don’t set a goal like I’ll apply to maximum number of jobs in a day. Provide a number like you’ll apply for 25 jobs in a day
- Your goals should be achievable. No point in setting a goal which is too difficult to accomplish. Know your limitations and set realistic goals. When it comes to a job, it matters a lot. A fresher cannot be the CEO of a Multinational Company. So play to your strengths!
#3: Be Ready to Change
If you are looking for a public sector job, you know you have to be flexible. So be ready to change if it means you’ll land up with a great job. You might be an introvert. But the job might require you to be an extrovert. In such cases, buckle up and be ready to change.
#4: Make Correct Choices
The problem with being jobless for a while is that frustration builds. When it happens, you start making the wrong choices. The trick is to keep your cool and wait patiently for the right opportunity.
If you are starting out, it’s even more important that you get started on the right track. If you choose the wrong career, chances of you having to stick with the same job is high. While you have the ability to wait it out, do so.
#5: Never Give Up
The 5th point, and yet, the most important point is to never give up in your job search. Never give up or lose hope. There is always another opportunity waiting for you.
It’s OK to not land the best job all the time. You still have the option to move on later. It’s OK if you don’t enjoy the same salary package or facilities as your peers. All that matters is what you are capable of doing and what your end goal is.
Getting a job is not the hardest part. Getting the “right” job is!
About the Author:
This is a guest post by Adarsh Thampy, marketing manager of YourNextLeap which provides career guidance and fresher jobs to fresh graduates. You can also find him blogging at conversionchamp.com.