“It’s a feedback mechanism where the longer you go, the harder it is on your emotional health,” he said. “The worse your emotional health is, the harder” it can be to successfully chase down job leads and dazzle interviewers. Whether you’re suffering from job-search depression or happily employed, learning the coping mechanisms needed to deal with things like uncertainty and loss of control will always come in handy, Dr. Maidenberg said. The solution to job-search depression isn’t as easy as hitting the pavement and sending out more résumés. It will help you stay organized in today’s very competitive job markets. Keeping track of the connections you’ve made, as well as the last time you contacted them and the next time you plan on contacting them, will help you diversify your job search rapidly.

Creating a routine goes hand-in-hand with treating your job search like a job. This was one of the best pieces of advice I received from my own career coach. I don’t have the science behind this, but I’m permitting you to take a day, week, or more if you have the finances, away from your career and job search.

Are you having post-grad blues? 8 Tips for finding purpose after college

In this eBook for PhDs, you will get access to proven resume templates, learn how to structure your bullet points, and discover which keywords industry employers want to see most on PhD resumes. Learn about the best 63 industry careers for PhDs (regardless of your academic background). In this eBook, you will gain insight into the most popular, highest-paying jobs for PhDs – all of https://remotemode.net/blog/job-search-depression-exists-and-it-has-to-be-addressed/ which will allow you to do meaningful work AND get paid well for it. Taking a few days off from an intensive project like a job search has been shown to alleviate frustration, change perspective, and spark novelty. There are endless jobs to apply to, networking events to attend, and people to connect with. Now, recruiters are contacting you and you’re getting industry interviews.

• 56% say they’ve experienced more emotional or mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, due to their unemployment.
• After the fifth rejection, people start losing confidence in themselves.
• Reach out to a friend or family member about how you’re feeling and why you’re struggling.
• Being too hard on yourself can hinder the job search process.
• But being out of work can also increase a person’s overall risk of depression, according to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Sometimes a good chat is the best remedy for a tough emotional situation. If you are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or depression over the job hunt, reach out to someone you feel comfortable talking to. It could be your family, friends, colleagues, or even a professional therapist. Therapists and psychologists have special training and can help you find ways to cope with the situation you are in. It may seem like you’re on your own in the job search blues, especially if most people you know appear to be on a great career track.

tips for how to deal with job depression

Because of their unemployment, 56% admitted that they’ve had greater emotional or mental health concerns, such as anxiety or depression. Recruiters are human too and occasionally fall prey to affinity biases, expectation anchors, and other unconscious failings. Faults in the recruitment process can occasionally lead to good applications being rejected by mistake. A lack of communication between hiring managers and decision-makers, poorly organized interviews, even badly thought-out job advertisements can lead to mistakes being made. In situations where a large number of candidates have applied for the same role, it is possible for resumes to sometimes fall through the cracks and go unnoticed. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the development of job search depression.

There are reasons why the job search takes a psychological toll. If you’re refreshing your inbox every few minutes or perusing job boards constantly, you’re keeping your body and mind in a high-alert stress mode that can do damage over time. Remember that no https://remotemode.net/become-a-net-mvc-developer/asp-net-core-3-1-mvc/ matter the outcome of your job searching and the number of rejections you’ve received, your current situation doesn’t define you. By not yielding to job search anxiety, you’re facing your challenges head-on and actively working on your personal well-being.

What is job search depression?

Connect with me here to learn more about my career coaching programs and resume writing services. It can be mind-numbing to search job boards day in and day out and, unfortunately, you could be doing more harm than good if you don’t take a break and switch things up. In fact, even if you’ve been searching for a new job every day and you are feeling hopeless, take a breather right now. If you know someone who is currently job searching, please be kind with your words, don’t be crass, but be encouraging and helpful.

37% of those who believe they will be hired still don’t think they will find a job better than their last one. It is natural for us to go through phases of severe sadness, grief, lack of motivation, or exhaustion throughout our lives. These acute bouts of melancholy are frequently triggered by life changes and challenges, and they might cause minor disruptions in daily living for a short period of time. We may be suffering from major depressive illness if these sensations last more than two weeks and prevent us from going about our daily activities. Worrying about your job search when you aren’t searching is not productive. Then, spend time with family, binge on Hulu, or anything else you want to do.

Final Thoughts on Beating Job Hunting Depression

Adrian completed his undergraduate degree in 2020, entering into a job market that was suffering from twin ailments of an economic recession and a global pandemic. Speaking on the experience, Adrian says, “There were two things that would get to me every time. First, it was the number of applications that were rejected before I even scored an interview. Anyone who has spent time out of work, or looking for a change in employment, knows that the job search process can be very stressful.

When you’re looking for a new job, you probably put a lot of care into preparing job applications and getting ready for interviews. But caring for yourself and your mental health is often more important for your long-term well-being—and for a successful career. Your struggle with depression, and the tools you’ve used to manage your mental health, can actually be framed in a positive light to prospective employers, Heath says. But she cautions that you should do so only if the question you’re being asked in an interview warrants it. So, for instance, you might bring up your experiences in response to a question about your biggest personal lesson or struggle. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders, with approximately 17.3 million adults experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the United States in 2017.