Have you ever been full of good intentions at the New Year only to find your plans to lose weight and stop smoking eventually fizzle out? Well, job hunting can be similarly dispiriting unless you keep motivated.
The length of time taken to find a new job depends on a number of factors, including the reasons you left a job, how buoyant your sector is and whether you have the skills today’s employers are looking for. However, regardless of individual circumstances and whether you are newly graduated or a workplace veteran, you will be successful more quickly if you maintain motivation by taking action and learning from rejection.
Top motivation boosters:
Set goals and take action. Action stimulates motivation and enables you to take control over your life.
Keep networking. Keeping in touch with old contacts and making the effort to get out and about meeting people will keep you from feeling isolated.
It’s easy to say, we know, but don’t be disheartened if you don’t get the first, second or third job you have been interviewed for. Instead of feeling rejected treat it as a learning curve, get feedback from your interviewer and concentrate on refining your performance. Think about if there is anything you’ll change next time.
Go and see recruitment consultants. It is their job to help you find work and they will help you if they can. The service is a completely free service to job seekers. Trained consultants know about the current job market and are skilled at looking at how your skills and abilities might fit jobs you haven’t thought of. In addition, they have access to many jobs you won’t see advertised. Good consultants are also skilled at keeping you uplifted and motivated.
Keep an open mind. If your current job bores you, maybe it’s time to try something new.
- If your skills are rusty get some training. This way you will be taking action and therefore keep motivated whilst moving towards your goal.
- Treat your job hunt as if it were a work project, for example, set yourself deadlines and use your time efficiently. Establishing a routine can help.
- Take plenty of physical exercises. Your brain needs oxygenated blood to work well.
- Take a break to refresh the mind – keep up your hobbies and recreational activities to maintain a balance between ‘work’ and play.
- Keep positive and find something to laugh about, as the brain will release endorphins which act as relaxants.
Relocation
Imagine being offered your dream job. Only it’s based 200 miles from where you live. Sounds like an exciting prospect, but would you go for it?
‘The uptake is lower than one might imagine,’ says John Tolmie, managing director of JST Recruitment in London, ‘We are quite strict about finding jobs for people wanting to relocate because the number of times they have second thoughts is remarkably high.’
A Scot himself, Tolmie came down to London and, like Dick Whittington, expected to find the streets paved with gold. But money shouldn’t be the main motivator for wanting to relocate, he says. It’s important to ask yourself the following questions before making a decision:
- How much will it cost to move? Investigate the cost of moving home
- Can you afford to live there? Wages may be higher in cities such as London but so is the cost of living. Use our salary checker to find out work out how much you could earn?
- Will you enjoy the lifestyle and culture? Each city has its own culture. You may like the fact that few people know your business in a big city, such as London or Manchester, but it can also be lonely
- Time Out’s web site has city guides to Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Bristol
- Can you afford to move back home if it doesn’t work out? Soaring property prices in certain areas may put house buying out of your reach if you want to move back there.
- What will be the impact on your family? Are you happy with the local schools and amenities? What’s it like socially? As an employee you will have a ready-made network of colleagues, but what about your partner who may feel isolated and lonely?
How do you go about finding a job?
Draw up a list of places where you would like to live and look at prospective employers in that area.
Sign up with a recruitment agency in your chosen area. They can give advice on jobs and salary as well as areas to live and expected costs.
Can I expect financial help?
Companies will usually pay a lump sum towards moving costs and help with estate agency fees. Companies will often consider relocating you if there is a shortage of staff and suitable skills in an area.
What skills are in demand?
Which employers are recruiting now?
Who chooses relocation?
The majority of relocators are young and single, but Sue Kavanagh, human resources director at a business travel company, Carlson Wagonlit, says she is often surprised at the type of person who will take up the opportunity. She recently had a request from a married man with a family to move to Singapore. He’d had an opportunity to work abroad when he was younger and regretted turning it down. Sometimes, couples will decide to relocate once their children have left home.
What if I don’t want to relocate?
With the help of today’s technology, relocation isn’t always essential. Mother of two, Elspeth Saeng-On, a programmer for Microsoft, didn’t want to relocate to the company’s offices in Reading, Berkshire so the company set her up an office from home. She communicates with her boss through video conferencing and is soon to try out webcams. Everything is done electronically – even her expenses.