Tom O'Neil: What to do when it all goes wrong

Rejection is part of the job hunt, the key is not to get discouraged. Pic Getty

From time to time we all meet those people who say, "I got every job I've ever applied for."

Though this is great for them, it's certainly not true for most people, especially in today's hyper-competitive marketplace.

I know the hardest time in my life was when I returned from overseas and hit the job market. Rejection after rejection almost broke me, and it was one of the darkest periods of my life.

Job hunting is hard

For the vast majority of people, job hunting is a traumatic time, punctuated by periods of fear, false hope and venerability. How many other times in our lives do we go up to complete strangers, put our heart on the line, and say "judge me, and see if I am worthy..."?

Resilience

The key to getting through a challenging job hunting period in your life is resilience.

Keep your perspective on things

It's not "actually" the end of the world. Change is a normal part of life and nothing lasts forever. I once led an exercise with a client to help him understand perspective. After being made redundant, everything was going wrong in his career, family and finances. I then asked him how it would all look once he got a new job, and suddenly everything bounced back to normal levels.

You only need one yes!

We over complicate the whole job hunting process with multiple recruitment channels, psychometric testing etc. However, it all comes down to just getting the right person to say "yes". That should be your focus.

Be task-orientated and set goals

Take charge of your job hunt, rather than waiting for recruiters and HR people you have never met to open the door. A great way to do this is hit the hidden job market - go direct to decision makers in your industry and introduce yourselves. One of my clients tried this approach this week, and got a personal email from the NZ CEO of one of the world's largest companies, asking for his CV. At the end of the day you will feel better if you genuinely believe things are moving forward in the job hunt.

Look after yourself

When personal grooming starts to tank, things start to go very badly. Looking good helps you with your personal confidence at the interview. Stay fit and healthy during this time, as this plays a massive part in your overall wellbeing. Include regular exercise, proper nutrition and try to limit your alcohol and caffeine intake.

Support from others

Your family and friends will be very important as key parts of your support structure during this time. Don't be afraid to reach out, have a cry or do a little rant with those dear to you. They should be your "safe place" where you can get healing and support from those who matter most.

Contact Tom for a free Linkedin or CV review, or to be your personal career coach. Visit www.CareerCoach.nz or www.CV.co.nz to find out more.