Similarly, a recent graduate, Mark, struggled with the pressure to land a job in a competitive market, resulting in anxiety and depression. The struggles of job hunting can leave you feeling rejected, stressed, anxious, and overall pessimistic about your future outlook. The career path we choose to follow is a part of who we are as people. One day, you’re enjoying the structured predictability of college life. The next day, you’re thrust into a new world, building your LinkedIn profile, polishing up your résumé, and starting the search for your dream job. For some graduates, the job search is a joyful, exciting adventure.
Trying to change what isn’t within your control will only drain your energy and leave you more anxious.
The positive effects of not yielding to job hunting depression
In addition to Christy’s input, I had the pleasure of speaking with multiple job seekers this past week, and here are the insights that came from my conversations with them. It is without a doubt a challenge to search for a job these days. As well as providing a platform for enormous personal growth, it became an opportunity for self-awareness and self-discovery. As I embraced and trusted myself, I became confident in the knowledge I was able to find the right role – one that recognized and rewarded my contributions. During my job search, the term “cultural fit” often arose.
Inappropriate hiring practices
Some companies reject or don’t notice decent candidates by mistake or due to malpractice. When a job seeker encounters such an attitude, it might cause stress. There are many reasons why looking for a job can be stressful and lead to depression. Most people find constant interviews and an uncertain future to be demoralizing. The greatest entrepreneurs, business people, athletes, politicians and celebrities had epic failures and still rose to greatness.
Job event for the ‘untapped’ armed forces veterans
Addressing job search depression isn’t just an individual responsibility—it’s a societal one too. Policymakers should consider providing better mental health support for job seekers, such as subsidized counseling services or mental health workshops. They recommend various coping mechanisms, like setting realistic goals, practicing self-care, and engaging in regular physical activity.
- Reach out to a friend or family member about how you’re feeling and why you’re struggling.
- These can consist of moving to another country, getting promoted, expanding your knowledge in some way, etc.
- Beyond your personal relationships, reach out to a career coach or therapist.
- Yet, it is a crucial aspect of the job search process that requires our attention, empathy, and resources.
- But if the opportunity arises, and if you feel comfortable, know there are occasions when being open may actually help you land a job you’ll thrive in.
- Again, keep in mind that you are in no way obligated to share this information.
They also stress the importance of reaching out to professional mental health services when feelings of depression persist or intensify. Yielding to job hunting depression has several adverse mental and physical effects. By seeking solutions to this common phenomenon, you’re actively working on your personal well-being. depression and job search Just ask anyone who’s been job searching for more than a month and you’re likely to hear stories of mild to severe job search depression. This past week I spoke with over a dozen job seekers in a variety of industries and all of them indicated that they had experienced some form of job search depression or JSD.
PA LIFE CLUB
Being too hard on yourself can hinder the job search process. A lack of self-compassion and being critical of your flaws prevents others from seeing your positive attributes. For many people, jobs are tied to their feelings of self-worth.
- It also prevents you from fully accepting yourself for the person you are.
- Review and reflect on the situation and build a personal development plan.
- It feels better to get things off of your chest by sharing with others.
- This can lead to a deeper depression if the job search is delayed.
- Because depression can come and go in waves for some people, it’s possible you’ll convince yourself you’re past this most recent bout of symptoms in light of the excitement you feel.
- Talking about your challenges can provide relief and perspective.
If children aged 11 to 14 suffer poor mental health they are three times more likely not to pass five GCSEs including English and Maths compared with healthy children, the report said. According to the report, young people now have the poorest mental health of any age group – a reversal from two decades ago when they had the lowest incidence of common mental disorders. When I spoke with Shona Brenner this week, she told me a story about how she went through multiple interviews. The company even told her that she was qualified for a higher-paying job and that they wanted to offer her a role. When it came to the final interview with the CO of the company, she was ghosted.