Staying hopeful while job searching
It’s no secret that I got laid off–for the first time in my life–last summer. I wasn’t surprised, but it’s still an awful feeling to log onto your job one morning and have your livelihood ripped away by 11 am.
Emotionally, losing my job was tough. It felt like more bad luck after a year that included having my car stolen and totaled and then getting a debilitating injury just a few days later. Sometimes, the shit just keeps coming, no matter how much you wish it shouldn’t.
I wish I could say I found solace in things like meditation or prayer. Or that I found out I really love networking and went to meetups every week, impressing every new person I met with my wit and charisma. Or that I started distance running and got really, really fit.
But actually, what got me through was lowering my expectations. I mean, they were really low.
I didn’t apply for tons of jobs, and I didn’t expect to hear back from anyone. I didn’t force myself to be productive every minute of the day, maximizing every moment so I didn’t feel like I was wasting time. And I definitely didn’t start training for a 10K.
Instead, I found balance that was sorely lacking in my life. Each day had a little of everything: job hunting, cooking, exercising, family time, creativity, reading, time to think. Without the yoke of a demanding job, I felt lighter and more able to envision my own future. And while being jobless is incredibly stressful, that stress was balanced by the freedom I had to rethink what my career could look like.
But lower expectations doesn’t mean giving in to pessimism. In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite. I was able to stay hopeful because I didn’t stuff all my hopes onto one or two opportunities. So when they didn’t pan out, I wasn’t devastated. Instead, my optimism was more general: I knew I would find something eventually, as long as I chipped away at the job search and gave myself room to breathe.
When I talk to job seekers–unemployed or stuck in a bad work situation–they’re often overwhelmed and anxious. There’s a lot of advice about how to handle the current job market, and truthfully, I find a lot of it to be trite and condescending. Here’s what I actually think works for maintaining optimism and hope during a job search:
Make something unrelated to job searching
Write a story about a butterfly and an elephant going on a roadtrip. Learn how to make cold brew. Reorganize that closet you’ve been ignoring. Make one of those macrame plant hangers. When the job search is your only outlet for productivity and validation, rejection hits harder. Remind yourself you’re still capable and creative in other ways.
Lower the emotional stakes of each application
Treat applications like experiments, and don’t pour your soul into every single cover letter. Instead, invest enough time and energy to give yourself a chance at getting selected, but not so much that rejection feels like personal failure. This is almost cliche at this point, but AI can really be your friend with this one.
Set "good enough" metrics
Decide what “good enough” looks like each week: Maybe it’s 3 high-quality applications, 1 networking convo, 1 new skill brushed up on. Or 5 really amazing applications and 2 conversations with friend-of-a-friends. Then stop. Just like when you’re employed, overwork leads to burnout and hopelessness.
Let go of the idea that your job search will be linear
Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re regressing—getting fewer interviews, seeing fewer job postings. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. Markets shift, algorithms change, holidays happen. Hold on to what works and know that growth never happens in a straight line.
Having trouble staying optimistic during your job search? You don’t have to do it alone. Set up your free 30-minute consultation with me and learn how I can help you thrive during job searching and in your career.
