So the time has come and gone. You've officially graduated and it's time to start the job hunting process. Everyone warned you it might be tough but you didn't realize how truly hard it would be both financially and emotionally. Maybe you're lucky, like me, and are currently employed still with your college job and just hoping to land your dream job soon...or maybe you're really unemployed and are frantically looking for a career.
No matter which situation you're stuck in at the moment, here are 8 ways to stay positive while applying for jobs after graduation:
1. Do your best to improve yourself.
Those "sorry, you're not what we are currently looking for" messages are bound to get old sometime and they're going to dampen your spirits but use this time wisely and focus on making yourself the most desirable candidates for employers.
Is your LinkedIn account up-to-date? If you have a personal website or portfolio, are your samples relevant to positions you've been applying for? Does your resume have power words and showcase you in a way that'll grab the employers attention?
Working on all of these things will not only make you more confident but it just might help you land that interview (and hopefully the job).
2. Volunteer/Do Internships
This in-between period is a great time for you to add more experience to your resume and see what it's going to be like working in the real-world of your career path. Yeah, it might suck to not get paid for your work but this will be a great opportunity to increase your list of references.
3. Refuse to give up.
Like I said before, this is the hardest part. Applying for jobs, following up, waiting around, getting rejected. It's all going to take a toll on you and you'll probably want to just say, "you know what? Screw this" and stick to what you're already doing.
Don't.
Whatever you do, don't give up. You will have those mental breakdowns. You will think that a job is never going to come and you'll be stuck at that retail job for the rest of your life. But trust me, keep trying and pushing yourself and one day, the job of your dreams is going to land in your lap.
4. Explore around.
Maybe what you majored in isn't necessarily working out for you. Hey, that's okay too. A LOT of people don't end up with a career in their major. This is also a great time to see what you really enjoy doing and constantly learning about.
Explore your options. You never know, you could end up finding something you love more than your actual field of study.
5. Think about struggles from your past.
We've all gone through tough times in our lives. The challenging time comes, you learn how to deal with it and you move past it. Take a note out of your own playbook.
How did you get through a tough time in your life? Looking back on previous experiences might help give you an idea or two on how to get through this waiting game of unemployment.
6. Work other small jobs.
I promise every single job you work will give you some sort of experience that you can add to your resume. Yes, even your part-time fast-food job. I mean hey, who knows how to work with all types of people better than people who work in the fast-food industry. Because we all know customers ordering/waiting on food can be crazy.
These small jobs have the ability to teach you different skills that you can add to your resume and use to work in a variety of work environments.
7. Don't waste time on things you can't control.
We all know how badly you want to reach across the computer and get the recruiter to check out your application and call you. But life doesn't work like that and frankly, it's a waste of your time worrying about it.
About a week or two after applying, reach out to them and see if they received your application or need any additional materials, but after that, it's a waiting game for you.
Spend your time working on things that you can control. Work on your resume or network with some people that you already know in the industry.
And last but certainly not least...
8. Enjoy your downtime.
Friends, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GET THIS FREEDOM AGAIN. I know money is important and you need to work in order to pay all of your bills. But you're going to be working just about every day until you are at least 65 unless you're lucky and you win the lottery (which in that case, slide into my DM's because I'll probably need some help).
Until then, keep pushing yourself and never give up until you find a job that makes you happy, both financially and mentally.
Stay positive, my friends.
