Staying Motivated in Your Job Search (Richard Bolles)

Here you begin, not with the job-market but with yourself. You figure out who you are and among all your Talents (natural capacity or doing certain things extremely well) and Passion (a natural love, enthusiasm for certain kinds of pursuits). Then (and only then) you go looking for organizations that match you. And you do not wait until they announce they have a vacancy. You approach them anyway, not through a resume but through a person, specifically a bridge-person—someone who knows you and also knows them, and therefore is a bridge between you two.

If you've tried as hard as you can to find a job, and nothing is working, stop looking for explanations. The remedy is staring you in the face: you need to switch approaches. If you've been depending solely on "The Traditional Approach" and it just isn't working this time—then you need to try using "The Proven Approach" —as outlined below:

What you are looking for? A dream job: one that utilized your talents, knowledge and your favorite passion.

How you see yourself? As a resource person; they will be lucky to get you!

What is your basic plan? Figure out what kind of job you’d die to do, before you go out job hunting.

What is your preparation? Do homework on yourself, to figure out your talent and most love to do. Your best weapon is your enthusiasm.

How you figure out which employers to approach? Research, networking and informational interviews you find out which organizations most interest you.

How to contact those employers? Through a “bridge-person” (someone who know you and know them); use LinkedIn, Networking and social media.

What is the purpose of your resume? My purpose is to get a first interview with them.

What is your main goal if you get an interview with them? My main goal is to get another interview with them.

What you talk about in the interview? Their interest and needs. 50% of the time you let them ask the questions. 50% of the time you ask them the things you want to know about the company, job and how you can help them.

What are you trying to find out? Do I want them as well as do they want me. Can I do the work I most love to do here and at the same time help them?

How do you end the final interview? If you decide you want to work there, you decide to ask them before you leave “I believe I could be a real asset to your company; given all we’ve talked about, can you offer me this job? You are seeking closure.

What to do before getting the job, but before you start? Immediately send a hand written thank you note. Then keep on quietly looking. Their offer may still fall through before you start, due to unforeseen developments there. Don’t stop looking!

Your job search can create depression and makes it harder to get out there and look. And the less you get out and look, the less likely a job offer will come your way. Even worse, prospective employers tend to be turned off by negativity. It’s the most dastardly kind of Catch-22.

What all this means is that a major part of anyone’s job hunt is staying motivated. Maintaining a positive attitude is essential to getting the job you really want. It’s easy to get stuck in this draining cycle. My experience in the job search taught me that one of the biggest challenges is just maintaining the motivation to continue, especially when you're dealing with rejection and radio silence. But I also know that you can revive your motivation by making simple changes to your job-search approach, focusing less on all those resumes and cover letters and more on you and what you want.

The job search doesn’t have to be a daunting task every time you open your laptop. These tips worked for me, and they can for you, too.

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Len Deane Jr.

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