When the Hunt Gets Tough, Get Tough and Keep Going

You go through a series of highs and lows in all parts of your life, including your relationships, friendships, moods and your job situation. The best way to get through any kind of low is to keep on going. If you stop and linger, you really won’t get anything done, or worse, you’ll lose all your motivation and potential for success.

For those moments when your inbox is empty, your outbox is full, and you’ve written so many cover letter versions, you lose count, read this.

You won’t get an offer right off the bat. There won’t be a recruiter telling you how awesome you are immediately. You won’t be the best of the best all the time. What you need to realize may sound a little cheesy, but it’s true, I promise. I’m not one to give into the cheesy ‘you’re great’, ‘trust fate’, all that kind of stuff, but sometimes it’s less about repeating it over and over and more about forcing yourself to believe it. Times will get tough. The job hunt or internship hunt will be difficult to maneuver. You’ll get tired of sifting through postings and compiling cover letters convincing someone to hire you.

You have two options: First, you could focus on the positives. It takes a while to get a bite, plus you don’t want to take the first offer off the bat, anyway. You’ll get there, you just need to keep trying. You need to remind yourself that it’ll be tough because that’s the truth. Your second option is this: Form a battle plan. This is my favorite method. It requires being self-aware and calculated. What does your resume lack? What could you be doing better? Or, what other opportunities are you not exploring?

While I’m a big supporter of the plan option, it’s also important to keep tabs on your mental health. Constant rejection is hard on one’s mind. I know what it’s like to get rejection after rejection. I also know what it’s like to get multiple offers. The difference between the two results is in the plan you formulate to get there. Figure out what you need to make yourself a desirable candidate. What will make you stick out? If you’re not memorable, you won’t get anywhere.

Keep your head up and keep trying. Send out hundreds of applications, make hundreds of plans, and do what you need to.