One of the interesting things about the work that I do is the cyclical nature of job seeking: September and January are traditionally the busiest months as it is "back to work" for students and professionals alike.
That being said, job hunting can be like New Year's Resolutions: it is frequently easy to set ambitious goals and can be difficult to keep them--especially when shrinking budgets and hiring freezes may require you to do more instead of less.
If you're feeling stuck, consider leaning on someone else to pull yourself out of it. (I once read that one factor behind the high failure rate of resolutions was the fact that a majority of common self-improvement efforts are often done in relative solitude--i.e. weight loss, personal finance management, and even applying for new jobs.) As it is often easier to achieve success with the help of others, here are three of my favorite resources:
1. Authentic Happiness
This website by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Positive Psychology provides many tools and resources for "bad mood busting." I particularly recommend the VIA Signature Strengths Finder.
2. How to Find a Community of Job Seekers
This 2 part series from my colleague and friend Miriam Salpeter at Keppie Careers includes a mention of the Manhattan based Job Seekers group I run through MeetUp.com. (sign-up for additional information on programs and events if you like.)
3. Ask for Advice or Suggestions from someone who has been there before. Here's a recent Penelope Trunk post on "How to Generate a Useful E-mail Response."
I also like management consultant Dan Erwin's suggestions on "How to Ask for Advice and Not Look Like a Dumb***" (Our opinions on word choice for titles differ--I'm more of a prude for public writing--but his advice is spot-on.)
Do you have additional suggestions on how to self-motivate during a job search? If yes, please share.
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