Don’t give up on your Job Search 

 

Is your job hunting weighing you down? Don’t give up!

Let me share my personal experience to encourage you. I have been there, it was exhausting! Are you feeling like: 

You have been sending resumes after resumes and still no call back?

Do you feel sad when you see people go to work and come back home?

Are you tired?

Do you feel like giving up?

Do you feel unseen and worthless?

I understand you perfectly well but don’t give up. 

All you need is a yes! Just one yes and that yes is coming. But it won’t come when you give up.

 

My Story

I have been on the job market before and I can tell you that it was not easy. I was applying and applying and applying with no response. And when there was a response, it was rejections and rejections upon rejections. During that period, looking for a job was a full time job for me. There were many times I felt like giving up but I knew giving up meant not finding a job. Don't give up!

 

What Helped Me

 

Social Support 

Around this time, you need all the support you can get. You need people that believe in you, people that are cheering you on and encouraging you. My support was made up of my husband, family (mother and sister) and friends. They prayed with me and encouraged me. Their support was very important to me during that period. Have people around you, not only when you are looking for job but for all time. This period can be depressing and that is why you need people to believe in you and support you.

 

One of my very good friends bought me a lunch box, lunch bowls and water bottle meant for the office, for my birthday that year . I was surprised by the gift.

I asked her, (filled with emotions by the thought): “Sally, why this gift? Is this a Prophecy?”

She replied, “Yes, it is. I am prophesying into your life. Soon, you will find a job and you will use these”. (The picture used for this blog post is me standing behind the prophetic gift my friend bought for me.)

 

I kept Searching and Applying 

I kept searching and applying but I did it meaningfully. Regardless of the number of rejections, I knew the only way I could get a job was to continue to apply. So, I applied and never gave up. I changed the way I was approaching the job search and adopted these techniques. They came in handy and really helped.

I Worked on my Resume

Every job posting is different and so I worked on my resume and ensured that every resume was tailored to the job I was applying to. I updated my online resume on LinkedIn as well. 

 

Put Distractions Away

Do not be distracted but be encouraged. Do not compare and get discouraged by the success of people online/on LinkedIn but rather be encouraged that it is possible. 

 

People share what they want you to see: Focus!

I was always seeing people’s success stories and people starting new jobs and I wondered why I was not being successful. The truth is, people rarely share their failures or rejections on social media. Most people are prone to share the successful stories and not the background story. Sociologists explain this phenomenon using a concept called dramaturgical perspective. 

I was truly inspired and motivated when one amazing woman in a top position in my field, shared her story of rejections before she finally landed her current job. She shared this on LinkedIn and it motivated me so much. I reached out to her and thanked her for her vulnerability. She replied, encouraged me and wished me well.  

 

Prayers

I prayed like no one’s business. I fasted and prayed. I lost so much weight during that period. The word of God, gospel music and prayers were essential activities that kept me during that period. My go to bible passage was “Genesis 26: 12 to 13” and my go to gospel song was “Do it again by Elevation Worship”.

Self-motivation: 

This was my motivation every day when I woke up: 

There are companies hiring every day, 

there are job vacancies popping up everyday 

and so, one day I will be given a chance.

 

You are not a failure because you have not found a job yet! 

Your yes is on the way.

 

And until next time, know that 

You are enough, you are worthy!

Learn to Live life in the present 

And know that nothing last forever so everything will be fine! 

Take care of YOU, YOU are all you've got!