Steps To Prevent Burnout During Your Job Search
Burnout. That’s a topic of great interest in the professional world. You read about burnout across a variety of industries. It’s a focus of concern with both traditional, remote and hybrid workplaces.
When professionals encounter an overabundance of work-related stress, they experience physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. That’s burnout in action. Yet, burnout is not always a byproduct of employment. This unfortunate condition also affects individuals who are searching for jobs, too! The job search can trigger stress and burnout when it comes to:
Navigating the wealth of available jobs
Determining which opportunities best suit your needs
Applying to positions
Fine-tuning your resume and cover letters
Preparing for the interview process
If your current job search has left you stressed and exhausted (or you feel like those conditions are on the horizon), things are about to change for the better. Our expert team has put together this lifeline for a less stressful and more effective job searching process for you!
What Causes Job Search Burnout?
Before we talk about how you can prevent job search burnout, let’s take a look at some of the causes of this condition.
Job Search Burnout Cause #1: The Job Market
Turn on the TV or search online and you’ll likely discover various economic experts discussing the abundance of available openings in the current job market. With that being the case, you may feel a bit defeated if you have not received any responses from the hiring managers of the companies you applied to.
While it’s natural to feel disappointment at the lack of response, it’s not cause for despair. Searching for a job is always competitive regardless of the state of the current job market.
Unfortunately, that feeling of being in this type of job market can lead to such questions as “How will I ever get noticed? When will I find a new job? When will things go my way?”
Repeatedly facing these types of questions can lead to physical, emotional and mental fatigue—all components for job search burnout.
Job Search Burnout Cause #2: Feelings of Inadequacy
You’ve spent countless hours crafting attention-grabbing cover letters and an impressive resume. However, you’ve applied to numerous positions and you’re not getting any results. Maybe those two tools aren’t as good as they should be. Or, perhaps, your skills, experience and background are not explained well enough in your cover letter and resume. Ask a valued friend or mentor to review your resume and cover letters. You may be surprised at how much you left out, things that seem random or not critical to you are often very important to employers (e.g., specific software skills, language skills, volunteer activities, civic groups like being an Eagle Scout or Girl Scout Gold awardee.)
Over time, feelings of inadequacy are catalysts for job search burnout. When you begin to feel like you’re not good enough or lacking a “key ingredient” for landing an interview or a job offer, it’s not uncommon for burnout to follow.
Job Search Burnout Cause #3: Rejection
Perhaps the biggest cause of job search burnout and depression is rejection. You put a lot of care, commitment and effort into your cover letters and resume. You successfully (or so you believe) navigate multiple interviews. Yet, hiring managers have decided to proceed with other candidates.
While this is to be expected in any job search, it can leave you feeling deflated and defeated if it happens more than once. You may feel like nothing you’re doing is right and that all of your hard work and efforts are leading nowhere. You may even believe that you’ll never find the right job.
That’s not true, but burnout can make you believe that it is.
When you experience any of these feelings, it’s time to look for solutions to keep burnout at bay.
What Are The Solutions for Job Search Burnout?
It’s time to learn the ways you can effectively counteract the causes of burnout listed above.
Job Search Burnout Solution #1: Concentrate On Things You Can Control
When you focus too much of your job search on things that are out of your control, you’ll set yourself up for burnout.
Since the job market is not something that you can control, you should not waste your energy on it. Instead, focus on the things you can control, such as your cover letter and resume. If you’re using a “one-size-fits-all” cover letter and resume for application, it’s time to end that practice. Take that energy and use it to customize your cover letter and resume to meet the requirements of the respective job that you’re applying to.
Carefully review the text of each job posting. Look for key phrases associated with the positions’ requirements and responsibilities. Compare those words and phrases with your professional skills and experience listed on your resume. Revise your resume and cover letter to include those key phrases. Do this for every job that you apply to.
By customizing your cover letters and resumes for the respective job postings, you’ll give these tools greater visibility. Hiring managers will see those essential phrases in your resume and take action.
Job Search Burnout Solution #2: Narrow Your Focus
The pace of the workplace is super fast these days so it can take hiring managers a while to review each candidate’s information and determine which applicants will be considered for the other steps of the hiring process. If you do not receive an immediate response, it’s not necessarily an indication that you are unqualified or that your resume is not impressive.
However, a lack of response may be due to another factor: indiscriminately applying to every available position. If you’re applying to jobs that do not pair well with your skills and experience, are in a different location, or are in a completely different industry, then you’re wasting your time and energy. It is perfectly okay to change industries but be sure to explain why you are interested in the new industry in your cover letter.
To prevent this scenario from affecting your job search, you can narrow your focus. Look for opportunities that best match your skills, experience and qualifications. Unless it’s a remote position that considers candidates from the entire state or country, do not apply to positions that are not an easy commute.
Practicing more effective job searching efforts will not only decrease your chances of burnout, it will increase your opportunities for more beneficial job search results.
Job Search Burnout Solution #3: Get Help From Elite Personnel
You’ve customized your resume and narrowed your focus to relevant opportunities. All this work has led to interviews, but you’re still not landing a new job.
Receiving rejection emails and phone calls is never easy. You may feel lost and helpless but there is a solution to your problem: Elite Personnel.
With the guidance of our recruitment experts, you can be matched with amazing organizations that are looking for great candidates like you. When you find that perfect role, you and your new employer will benefit greatly—and you’ll avoid the risks of job search burnout!
Conclusion
Job search burnout is a serious condition that can affect your physical, emotional and mental well being. Despite that fact, you can avoid its impact by knowing the causes and solutions to this problem.
Elite Personnel is here to help you avoid job search burnout by connecting you with great businesses looking for great professionals.
View our current openings or submit your resume today to land your new opportunity tomorrow!