This is an anonymous post from an Elpha member.

How to stay motivated in the job search while being constantly denied?

Leila195·Jun 29, 2022

Hey everyone!

I need some advice on how to stay motivated in the job search. I've been out of college now for a couple years and am still looking for a job. I have a part time job and while it gives me some experience, it's not enough to help me land a full time job. I've applied and interviewed for many jobs but the constant denials is really killing my mental health. I want to be able to apply for more jobs - but I struggle to do so knowing it'll come with more denials, which is becoming harder and harder to deal with. I know I lack experience and have been targeting entry level jobs but am always being denied due to lack of experience - if I get a reason at all. I've been told that I interview well but it's not enough to carry me to landing an offer.

How did you all continue to apply for jobs or stay in the job market while also taking care of your mental health? Any advice on how to actually land an offer?

annamiller·Jun 29, 2022

There are a few methods to handle a job search while taking care of your mental health. One is to block time for job search versus more pleasurable actives. So in effect, you can create rewards for yourself, schedule time for job search and schedule time for time for yourself to recharge and experience something different. Another method is to shift your perspective on the fact that you are 'denied' as more about 'redirection'. And to ass to that a lot of job seekers believe that they are less valuable than they are, so working on reinforcing your sense of valuing your skills and knowledge, and see how that shines through the interviews. On the topic of landing offers, you can always reply that you are interviewing with multiple companies and looking to make a decision in the next few weeks, so that you can create a sense of pressure for the company to move the interview process along.Let me know if this is supportive.

whitneyosei·Jun 30, 2022

I’m so sorry this has happened to you. If you haven’t already considered this, paid internships are a great way for you to gain experience and potentially get hired. Not sure what field you are in but if in tech or business, go intern at a startup. These days college just doesn’t seem to be enough to land positions—and I say this as someone who dropped out of college but was still able to secure a six-figure position with a company I love!

Myrtis76·Jun 30, 2022

I hear you. I was in a similar boat few years ago when I wanted to transition from enterprise to startup. Lots of rejections. Something that helped me was having a target in mind. I'll apply for 100 jobs and if i don't crack it then reevaluate. I think I got my break after applying for over 75 jobs. Having a weird target helped me not brood over current state of affairs. I was like I'll brood once I get to 100. During this period, I had an 2 month old and caring for a mum with cancer . My mental health wasn't at my finest. It's a period when I got into stoicism. If you are interested and new to it, suggest reading 'the daily stoic' from Ryan Holiday. It got me through tough times and gave me great tools for future challenges.It's hard to see it when you are going through it but this is the period in your life where you'll develop resilience. You cannot become resilient by reading about it, you have to go through s$$t. Looking back, I'm grateful for my challenges as that helped me become stronger. I sincerely wish the same for you 🤗🙏

Iynna·Sep 14, 2022

Hello Anon! I hope you are well. I know this was from a few months ago, that said if you're interested, we're running our first installement of the Elpha Job Seekers" on 9/26 and @Naomi is leading it! You should join us https://elpha.com/posts/ez9818i1/introducing-elpha-job-seekers-chat-this-month-s-topic-staying-organized-and-motivated-on-your-job-search