No matter what freelancing advertisers say, having a stable job gives the comfort and security to many people. Thus, it may be empowering and refreshing to quit one job searching for something better, but the pleasure of refreshment may quickly change into depression and frustration after 3-4 months of fruitless job search. As a result, instead of becoming a happier version of yourself, you get into a creative and professional rut, cultivating fears and uncertainty about your future prospects.
With the outburst of COVID-19, the job loss has lost its appeal as a life-changer. In fact, it remained a life-changing event, but the prospects of finding a better job with more favorable working conditions are too vague until the world gets back to normal. Thus, millions of jobless people trying to find new jobs are trapped in the job search depression today, losing hope for stable employment and fearing tomorrow.
To help you deal with this severe problem, Law Assignment Help experts have searched across the web to find workable tips for overcoming the symptoms of job search depression. Read on to see how to add colors to your life, cope with the dreadful waiting time, and succeed in the job hunt.
Causes of Job Search Depression
The reasons for developing a job search depression are diverse. Those who have just graduated from a college or university can be confused about the professional career they want to pursue. Those who were laid off because of the pandemic may feel useless or economically uncertain. Some people also develop the symptoms of depression because they feel that asking for a job looks like begging for charity. In all these cases, despair and anxiety may paralyze the job-seeking efforts and make the person stuck in inactivity and negativity.
Self-Check: Are You Depressed?
At times, the job search depression is not that easy to detect. You might confuse its symptoms with some other, non-related problems in your life or personal relationships, thus losing essential symptoms out of sight. Here is a quick checklist for those who suspect this issue but are unsure about it.
- You are frustrated about the loss of control associated with being jobless.
- You dread the feeling of financial uncertainty.
- You feel bad about receiving rejections or no responses at all.
- You have financial problems (a loan, tuition) and can face severe problems if you don’t find the money quickly.
- You feel imprisoned and trapped in a jobless life.
- You have no ideas in mind about how to remedy the situation, which produces much negative pressure on you.
- You have financial duties for the family and property, fearing bankruptcy or confiscation.
Tips to Prevent a Job Search Depression
If you feel that the job search depression starts trapping your mind and you can’t go on to find a decent, exciting job, it’s time to tackle the situation proactively. The deeper you go into a depression, and the longer you ignore the alarming symptoms, the harder it may be to recover later. Here is a set of workable tips to help you stay emotionally and psychologically afloat during the employment pause.
#1 You Are More Than a Job Seeker
We may have some issues at work, but all people without exception associate a stable, well-paid job with high self-esteem and a sense of being needed. Thus, losing a job is often a severe attack on our self-esteem, making us feel worthless. To overcome these feelings, you should look at yourself broader than the professional perspective allows you. In this vein, you may refocus on your personal interests and hobbies, things you do well outside the job, and features that people appreciate the most in you. If you follow this path, your self-esteem will remain intact to job loss, and you’ll have more resources for finding another position.
#2 Talk to Friends
Feeling bad about a job loss is natural, as you lose stability and a source of predictable financial inflows upon being fired or laid off. Thus, as an adult with particular financial responsibilities (providing for the family, paying rent, returning a loan, etc.), you might get frustrated about the resulting financial trouble. But the key piece of advice here is not to stay one on one with the problems. You can share the emotional discomfort with friends and listen to their advice. Many people got into such situations in the past and successfully recovered; probably, you’ll find some of them in your social environment.
#3 Find a New Job
Sticking to one profession is a lack of flexibility that can cost you financial stability and success. We live in a dynamic, quickly changing world that turns things upside down. So, the high-demand professions only a decade ago may turn out obsolete and unpopular, giving way to new jobs and specializations. Once you get laid off and can’t find a job quickly enough, maybe it’s time to think strategically? Maybe your profession is out of fashion, and it’s time to adapt your skill set to the modern reality?
#4 Become a Professional Job Hunter
Once you perceive a job loss as a pause, you may get stuck in that pause, unable to move on, and scared of changes. However, the job hunt is a distinct skill, and your success depends on how well you master it. This skill includes proactivity in communication, professional presence on social media, the ability to compile an appealing portfolio, and the art of presenting yourself to the employer without sounding too salesy.
#5 Take a Break
Most people perceive a job loss negatively, having to send out resumes and call companies the next day. However, at times, you need to take a deep breath and give yourself a reviving pause for the sake of becoming a better version of yourself on the next job. Think about why you left your previous job. What dissatisfied you? Maybe you were too tired and unable to perform all duties well? In any way, you need to do the homework and develop a clear vision of your next job. After you take some rest and strategize properly, your dream job will pop up very soon.
Still Worried about the Job?
The job loss is always a psychologically challenging moment. Still, as you can see, it’s all about the change of focus and attitude. If you get stuck in negative feelings and cultivate the feeling of self-uselessness, the chances are to remain permanently depressed and jobless. But once you’re open-minded and ready for the changes, things may change in your favor, landing you a dream job with much better working conditions.
