The Emotions of Job Hunting

Job hunting. If you are like me, these words bring up many emotions, including: anger, anxiety, and even hopefulness. As many of you know, job hunting can be very stressful and can leave you feeling helpless after a period of time.  Swimming through job postings that you are either over qualified or under qualified for, can become exhausting. As I continue my job search, I recognize the emotions I feel and try to deal with each emotion in different ways.

Anger

During this endless process of resumes, cover letters, and follow up emails, I begin to feel angry.  My anger is mostly directed at myself.  I start second guessing all my decisions I made in college.  Should I have of choice a different major? Should I have added a minor to my degree? Should I have joined a fraternity to gain network connections? What could I have done to make me better qualified for career opportunities? As these questions swirl through my mind, I have to take a step back and re-evaluate my situation.  As a college graduate from a Mississippi State University, in New Orleans I am competing with graduates from prestigious universities all over the country.  I guess you can say I am now a small fish in a large pond.  A job, especially the type of job you really want, is not going to fall into your lap.  Use that anger as a motivational tool.  If you are not happy with your level of education, take night classes. You cannot change the past, but you can definitely change your future.  

Anxiety

This process also brings on a lot of anxiety.  Similar to anger, you begin questioning everything about the process.  Is my resume up to par? Will my cover letter make me stand out from other applicants?  Will they find my skills and experience suitable for this position? I could continue with hundreds of other questions that swirl through the mind of job applicants.  The best way to fight this feeling of anxiety is: confidence. This feeling of confidence will help with the anxiety that comes along with job hunting.  This confidence should translate to your cover letters, resumes, follow-up emails, and interviews. If you are not confident with yourself, no one else is going to be confident in your abilities.

Hopefulness

Many of us have applied for positions that we thought we were perfect for.   We send our resume and cover letter with confidence knowing that our qualifications translate well for this position.  The days that follow are the hardest.   Every time our phone rings we think, This is the call.  Most of the time that is not the case and that anxiety starts to rear its ugly head again.   Out of all the emotions I have mentioned,  hopefulness is what keeps us going.  It is the only thing about job hunting that gets you excited, gets your heart pumping, and your mind wandering at the great possibilities that are in reach.  We cannot lose this feeling of hopefulness and along with it we must have patience.  As tough as it gets, as bleak as it sometimes looks, we must remain patient. 

So as we toll away, searching for that “perfect” job, let’s use the emotions we feel to our advantage. Take that anger and use it for motivation, replace anxiety with confidence, and always remain hopeful and patient.  As tedious, and discouraging job hunting can be, always remember that it is a learning experience and to take the good with the bad.   What are some other emotions that you feel while job-hunting and how do you deal with these emotions? Experienced job hunters, what is some advice you would give to younger job hunters and recent college graduates?