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Tip Sheets
Stay Positive During Your Work Search
If you expect to find work quickly, rejection letters can be really depressing no matter how nicely they are worded. If your expectations are more realistic, you know that you will probably receive a number of rejection letters before you get an offer of employment. You can even make a game of it—how many rejection letters will it take?
The following tips will help you keep your spirits up during your work search, no matter how long it takes.
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Treat each rejection letter as an opportunity to learn something. Pick up the phone and tactfully ask the employer for feedback on your application and interview. If something put you out of the running, you can correct the problem before you apply for other work opportunities.
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Keep learning and growing. Do lots of reading about trends and subjects related to your work or areas of interest. Take short courses or special training sessions. Attend conferences, workshops and seminars to keep your skills and knowledge up to date.
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Talk about your work search with family, friends and helping professionals (e.g. counsellors, psychologists, teachers, religious leaders). Looking for work can be an emotional roller-coaster ride—talking about your experiences helps to keep you on track.
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Refuse to use helpless words like "can't," "never," "hopeless," "impossible." Think positively: "Yes, I can." Say to yourself "I will," not "I wish I could."
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Accept temporary work if you need the money or experience. It could be contract work, a term project, part-time work or even a job for which you are overqualified. Temporary work will help to keep your spirits up and provide recent accomplishments to add to your resumé. If employers are impressed with your work, they may offer you other work in the future.
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Do volunteer work that will make use of your skills and provide needed experience and/or contacts in your field.
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Reward yourself when you have worked hard at finding work. For example, give yourself some guilt-free time to do something you really enjoy.
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Stay active. Enjoy the outdoors—walk, bike, swim, ski, jog, do some gardening or whatever else you enjoy. Ten minutes on the move can make a world of difference to how you feel.
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Be kind to yourself. You are probably your own worst critic. Give yourself a break and look for things to laugh about.
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Read flattering things you have received in the past (e.g. thank-you cards, commendations, performance appraisals, awards). Keep them with your work search documents so you see them often.
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Set a time limit for how long you will stay "down" when you are feeling depressed (no more than a few hours). Then start working your way back up.
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Understand the job loss cycle. How you respond to being out of work will depend on your personality and circumstances. However, you may find that your emotions follow a series of stages called the job loss cycle:
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denial |
you may be in shock, particularly if you lost your job suddenly or unexpectedly; you may pretend nothing has really changed
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anger |
you may be angry with yourself and/or your former employer or supervisor
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bargaining |
you may try to negotiate with your employer by requesting a different job with the company or by offering to work for less money
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depression |
you may have trouble getting started looking for work because you feel so "weighed down" and lethargic
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acceptance |
you accept the fact that the job is finished and get ready to begin a serious work search. |
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You may progress through all of these stages very quickly, need more time to work through some stages than others or periodically revisit some stages. Grieving the loss of your job is normal and natural, but talk to a helping professional if you cannot seem to get past the grieving. |
Who gets a job depends on how well each job applicant presents his or her qualifications in relation to the requirements of the job and the personal chemistry in the job interview. You have little control over the personal chemistry part, so just be yourself. However, you can improve your qualifications, resumé-writing and interview skills. Help is available through the Alberta Career Information Hotline. Call 1-800-661-3753 toll-free or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton or refer to the information below.
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download an online copy or order the publication from the Publications website at alis.alberta.ca/careershop |
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call the Alberta Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753 toll-free or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton |
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visit your local Alberta Employment and Immigration service centre. To find the centre nearest you, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline. |
Last Updated: June 20, 2006
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