How To Recover From Procrastination In Your Job Search
If you’re a college senior and you’ve waited until last minute to start your job search, you’re probably panicking about your post-grad plans.
During the weeks leading up to your graduation, the pressure will continue to build as you try to find a job. However, the distractions of school can often get in the way of your job search. Despite all of this, it’s important for you not to let these factors take advantage of your search.
If you’ve spent your semester trying to start your job search, your to-do list probably looks something like this:
- Write resume and cover letter
- Search for jobs
- Apply for jobs
- Hopefully, land an interview
Unfortunately, if you’ve barely crossed off the first item on your post-grad job search list, you could be feeling a little stressed about your plans after graduation.
It’s completely normal to have procrastinated during your last semester of college considering the number of assignments, final projects, and exams you’ve had to wrap up. However, if you’re feeling like you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, it should be no surprise that you’re worried about what you’ll do once you graduate college.
To help you recover from the procrastination you’ve experienced during your post-grad job search, here are some tips to help you make up for lost time and land a job in the upcoming months:
1. Stop making excuses.
Many college seniors procrastinate with their job search for a number of reasons. Whether it’s being too busy, not feeling qualified, or feeling your resume is horrible, there are a number of excuses keeping you from job search success.
To get back on track with finding a job, you need to turn your excuses into goals. If you feel too busy for your job search, make time in your schedule to do so. On the other hand, if your cover letter or resume has been holding you back, reach out to a friend or mentor who can help you get the documents you need prepared for your job search. These are simple things you can do to move forward with your job search.
2. Be accountable for your success.
There is no one else to blame except yourself for your current position. There’s no doubt that searching for jobs is a challenge, but you cannot let this challenge consume your success.
If you haven’t dedicated the time to your job search or allowed procrastination to get the best of you, then it’s time to take accountability for your job search. If you need help staying focused, find a friend who is also searching for jobs and look for opportunities together. This will help you stay motivated, plus you’ll have someone by your side to keep you on top of your job search, too.
3. Allow yourself to fail a few times.
College seniors often get caught up in not finding a job or failing during an interview process. The reality is, you’re not going to impress every employer. However, it’s important to remember there is an employer waiting to hire you. It’s going to take effort find success in your job search and you might have to fail a few times before you succeed. Once you allow yourself to fail, you’ll be more likely to stop procrastinating and move on with your job search goals.
4. Break down your job search into smaller steps.
Remember that job search to-do list you created earlier in the semester? Well, if it’s still overwhelming you, you might want to break it down into even smaller goals.
Just like any other to-do list, sometimes we easily get ahead of ourselves with the goals we want to accomplish. If you find yourself being overwhelmed with writing your resume, break the task down into smaller goals. This will make it easier for you to get started with your resume and applying for more jobs.
Procrastination happens, but you shouldn’t let it control your career search. By implementing some of these tips into your job search, you’ll be on your way to landing a job faster.
What tips do you have for college seniors who are dealing with procrastination in their job search?
Image courtesy gothick_matt; Flickr
