In 2019 we partnered with students and alums to investigate all of the tasks in a job or internship search and design the 8 Steps for Search Success. That night, a big topic was resilience. In fact, your peers put it into its own category, and it became the sixth step: Stay Positive and Motivated. Long story short, if you are feeling a slump in your search, it is natural and expected. Please kind to yourself and perhaps use some of this information to build or regain momentum.
To “stay positive and motivated”, students acknowledged that four key tasks are likely to be part of your search. They are listed below with a a step you can take for each.
1. managing low energy, motivation, or time
Check in on your confidence. This New York Times article, Practical Ways to Improve your Confidence (and Why You Should) offers a primer on the topic and straightforward suggestions to choose from. You might be surprised at the factors that connect, and small changes that can have a big effect.
2. dealing with rejection and silence
How to Deal with Job-Search Depression is another New York Times article with a practical overview about why you might feel down, and has actions that help deal with the stresses of search. Take note that if you are depressed, you have support. There are myriad resources listed at the end of the article. While the search process has inherent struggle, please don’t suffer.
3. revisiting the search approach
This article written by a neuroscience researcher reviews the ways he searched after completing his PhD during the pandemic. The focus is “conquering social isolation” and there are lots of practical tips.
4. focusing on what you want and what you control
It may be a good time to revisit the Two Hour Job Search process to get reconnected to what it is you are looking for in your next role and see if you have drifted from opportunities that are a natural match. This will also give you an incredibly clear process to follow for an effective search, putting you in a proactive position with more control.
If these suggestions are interesting, but not quite what you need, there is plenty more information included in your Search Success Guide. Today I added these options to the lists of action options we keep for you.
Finally, be good to yourself and get support and help as you need it. Chat a coach to gain a partner in your process, a cheerleader, or someone to keep you accountable. The GSPS team members are also always here to help you, and Duke also has many supports in place to help you thrive. We encourage you to take full advantage and here is a curated list of options in the introduction of this page.
