So you have taken a bit of a summer break in your job search, and that’s great – it’s important to recharge your batteries. But now you are having a hard time getting back into it… Here are some tips to get back into the game.
Take stock
If you have let go of your job search for a few weeks, you may need to get everything back on track. The most important is to restate your skills and professional goals.
Reminding yourself of your qualities and know-how will boost your self-esteem, and repeating to yourself why you should restart your search and what you are looking for will help you remotivate yourself. You can take the opportunity to retouch your resume and bring it up to date.
Adopt a professional pace
While the holidays might be an opportunity to sleep in for a few mornings, when the holidays are over it’s time to get back in the saddle! It is tempting not to stick to schedules and start searching “when you feel like it” – that’s the best way to demotivate yourself. You could end up only working on it for two or three hours per day, then per week, then per month… And the less time you spend on it the more discouraged you get, which gets you less results and you end up in a vicious circle. Avoid this by setting your alarm clock Monday morning and giving yourself a schedule.
Set a weekly schedule
Monday morning is the day to look for new job offers, afternoon to adapt your resume and cover letter to each of them and send them off, Tuesday morning to manage your social media, afternoon to answer your messages, Wednesday morning to learn about employment events, etc. Of course, you can adapt the schedule as needed – there’s no question of refusing an interview because you had planned to write a post on LinkedIn! The important thing is to define a framework for your research to avoid becoming
scattered.
Restart
Did you answer several offers before the holidays? Summer is a confusing period, and if the recruiters are away your application may have fallen through the cracks. So now is the time to resend them. It’s a great way to get back into the swim – it’s much easier to contact someone you have already had to do with than start a brand new application.
Celebrate small victories
There are often many setbacks to a job search before getting a little success, which can quickly prove discouraging. To not let yourself get down by the rejections, make a list of you victories, and don’t omit any! The simple fact that a company acknowledges that they have received your application is itself positive, when you know that many don’t go to the trouble. And a rejection after an interview is not merely a negative – having been received by the recruiter is already an indication that your resume is interesting and that by persevering you will end up getting the job of your dreams!