How to Overcome Your Job Search Burnout:
5 Sure-Fire Tips

By Kelley Bridenbaugh

Have you ever found the perfect job but felt your heart sink seeing hundreds (or thousands) of other applicants on a LinkedIn job post?

Do you sometimes feel hopeless, like you’re sending applications and no one is on the other end?

Have you even started to question what you want to do anymore because clearly, something isn’t working right on your job search journey?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, or if you’re still reading this article… chances are you might be facing job search burnout.

Good news, sort of, you’re not alone. Your feelings are entirely valid and you’re not the only one feeling stuck and discouraged. The bottom line is that job searching is exhausting.

So what can you do about it? You need to find a job, but the process is wearing you down with every submit button you hit. Here are 5 tips to help you defeat your job search burnout.

1. Define your ‘why’.

Take a second and think about why you want a (new) job. Is it simply to pay the bills? If this is the real reason, what is stopping you from walking into the first storefront you see with a “help wanted” sign?

The truth is that most of us are searching for more than a job.

Perhaps you want a job that allows you to work remotely from home because you value autonomy and work-life balance. Maybe you are looking for a job that requires problem-solving or leading others.

You have to define and refine your career values, which are personal principles that help you understand your ideal professional environment. When you are able to do this, it will help give you clarity on your job search and keep you intrinsically motivated.

2. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Job searching is a process. It takes time, and probably more time than you’d like. As eager as job seekers are to secure their next position, keep in mind all of the moving parts that go into the hiring process. Just because you might not be hearing back right away, doesn’t mean you should get discouraged.

Reviewing resumes, identifying potential candidates, reaching out and scheduling interviews, and narrowing down candidates again takes time, and this is on top of the hiring manager's normal day-to-day tasks. And if they are hiring in the first place, they might already have their plates full. So try to approach the process with patience and it will help you reframe the wait time in between.

3. Lower your expectations.

Okay, hear me out. I’m not saying to settle, but by managing (and lowering) your expectations you can brace for impact if and when you receive a rejection email. Now, this point isn’t the easiest for me because I’m a serial optimist. However, when it comes to job hunting, I’ve had to keep myself in check. Realize that you’re not going to get every job that you apply for, and that’s okay.

Once I could accept that hard truth, it made the standard “Thank you for your interest… We understand how time-consuming… We’ve found a candidate…” rejection emails a little easier. If you’re reading this article, you probably know how those emails go.

4. Remember your why.

This tip might seem redundant, but that’s how important your why needs to be. Once you define your career values that’s just the first step. During the draining job hunt process it’s easy to forget them, which is why this point reiterates needing to remember your why.

It has to be a good fit for both parties. If you use your values to guide your job hunt, you’ll feel more invigorated applying to positions you feel passionate about. It will help keep that spark alive, rather than just applying to a job just for the sake of applying when you can’t envision yourself working there.

5. Do what you love.

This last point isn’t just about doing something you love for work. I mean, step away from the job hunt and do something you love. During this time take the chance to really reconnect with some hobbies and passions that you maybe don’t normally have time for while working. Volunteer for a couple of hours a week at an organization you like to support. Read that book sitting on your nightstand. Do some free youtube yoga classes to relax and unwind. Disconnecting from the job search process at times will allow you to return refreshed and reinvigorated.

To sum things up, in order to survive burning out while job hunting you have to put yourself first. The hard truth is that hiring companies aren’t going to put you first on their list of priorities, so you need to prioritize yourself. Figure out what you actually want and why. Pace yourself in the process and remember rejections might just be redirections. When you feel burnout symptoms flaring up, take some time to simmer and do something you love to reground yourself. Keep faith and trust the process. The best is yet to come.

Happy Hunting,

Kelley B.