Why job searching is depressing

Not landing the role after your interview. And the more time that passes, the worse you may end up feeling. Soon enough, you may start to doubt yourself and your skills. You may even feel a renewed sense of excitement to start looking again. It also gets easier over time. Rather than blasting out as many resumes as you can handle, or only looking once a day, you should take a more targeted approach.

After all, there may not be that many available if you have a highly specialized skill set. A better approach is to block out specific hours in your day to dedicate to different job-hunting tasks.

In this way, you start treating your job search like an actual job. Start with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Spend one hour networking. If you need inspiration, there are some great resources online for resume formats and templates, including Workopolis.

Your resume should also be completely free of spelling and grammar mistakes. You can use Essayroo and Paper Fellows as proofreading tools, and Resumention to edit your resume and cover letters. Can you improve or develop skills that are relevant to your target industry? Doing so can make you feel much more pro-active and less helpless , to say nothing of the difference it can make when in competition for a job. To help, we recently outlined several online resources that can help you boost your career.

You can often achieve the same results while also giving something back. Sites like the Volunteer Match can help you find a cause that speaks to you and helps you improve your skills set and increase your contacts.

This brings up a key point in the overall fight against job search depression: you should not let your job define you. Now that you have time, explore other interests and passions. It prompts us to take positive steps in the right direction. To prospective employers, job seekers with a positive attitude appear more capable.

Even if you don't have the right skill set or experience, walking into an interview with optimistic, confident energy will make you stand out. Beyond the interview process, maintaining a positive mindset makes you a better candidate for recruiters.

Yielding to job hunting depression has several adverse mental and physical effects. Maintaining a positive outlook will keep your emotional well-being in as healthy a state as possible.

Beyond this, optimism is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and even longevity. Keeping a positive attitude despite feeling hopeless about your job search puts you in a state of active participation. A positive mindset helps you embrace your imperfections despite your job hunting depression. Try to prevent negative thoughts from dominating your mind. Instead, practice gratitude and think of the good things in your life. Stop the negative feedback loop by focusing on what makes you truly happy.

You are more than your career. Unfortunately, the nature of job search depression can often feel like a vicious cycle that you can never break. There is always hope for those suffering from job search depression. The first step is to reach out and ask for help. Unlock your best self with mental fitness routines with Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. Follow us. August 16, - 20 min read. Share this article.

Why does job search depression happen? Act now. Well-being Mental Fitness Consumer. Maggie Wooll Managing Editor. The best advice Lila gave was to manage your feelings. Becoming negative, cynical, or depressed will work against you.

When you get angry with yourself, it shows, Lila says. Most interviewers will pick up your real feelings. Actively manage your feelings so that you actually are happy, focused, and energetic. Admittedly this is not easy, especially for the millions of long-term unemployed. Here are some changes that should help in this culture of rejection:. Be your own good manager. Since searching for a job is indeed a full-time job in itself, manage yourself appropriately.

Bad managers are never satisfied, setting impossible goals and then punishing people for not accomplishing them. Instead, set reasonable weekly goals for networking, researching, or applying for jobs.