Finding a job is difficult, whether you are a recent graduate or have been working in a position you are looking to leave.
It can take much longer than you expected to find what you are looking for.
Even if you find the perfect fit, you might end up being passed over for another candidate. Still, there are a few ways to hold out for your dream job.
Make Sure You Can Still Pay Your Bills
When your budget is seeming tight, it can be hard to keep waiting for your dream job, and if you have a job opportunity, you may want to think long and hard before passing it up.
Don’t feel like taking a job so you can pay your bills is taking the easy way out because you will be in a better position to wait as long as you need when you are able to pay your bills.
You can keep searching for jobs in your time off from work, or you can put it on pause to see if better ones open in the future.
A job that isn’t your dream job can still provide you with the healthcare and funds you need to live in comfort. There is no shame in working hard to get where you want to be in life.
On the other hand, if you feel like you can still pay your bills but just need a little extra help, you might want to consider getting a personal loan.
They will help you get funds as soon as you need them. Just know there is some risk associated with it, and you can weigh the pros and cons of personal loans.
Make the Most of Your Time Away from Work
If you are unemployed and looking for a better career, make sure every moment counts. This is when you have the most free time on your hands, so don’t spend every hour of the day hunting for a position or checking your messages to see if the employer has responded.
When you have a full-time job again, you will likely only have a couple of weeks off each year, and you will be tied to the employer’s schedule.
Now is a great time to take that trip you’ve been thinking about. Enjoy this time off and use it to experience new things that can help you grow as a person going forward.
Try to Avoid Resentment
If you do have a job offer, even if it is not your ideal position, you may be tempted to take it since it might seem better than what you currently have. But ask yourself if you will resent taking it within a few months or a year.
If you think you will resent it, you shouldn’t take it became you will just end up leaving it soon after you get it.
In the long run, leaving a job within a year or less of starting can hurt your career because employers want to see candidates who demonstrate career stability.
Continue Submitting Applications
While not all your time should be eaten up by job applications, you should also check back often enough to see new positions open. Make sure to utilize a range of job boards, as not every company post on the biggest ones.
You can also set up alerts so when a new position matching your parameters is added, you can apply as soon as possible.
Don’t Be Afraid of a Steppingstone
If you are dreaming about moving to a different part of the country but are tied down to your current location by your job, don’t be afraid of finding a job quickly and easily in your dream location and using it as a steppingstone.
Just because accepting a position doesn’t put you exactly where you want to be doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a steppingstone to get there.
In most cases, accepting a job does not tie you to that company for the next decade.
Any job that has a pathway toward where you should be helpful. In many career paths, you can’t go right to the top until you have moved up the career ladder.
Skipping one of those rungs will make it much harder to progress to the top.
Don’t Be Hard on Yourself
Just because you can’t land your dream job right away doesn’t mean you should be hard on yourself. It is hard to search for and land the position you want.
You don’t know how many other candidates are applying or how some stand out from the rest, and you likely don’t have all the details on what the company really wants to find in a candidate.
Plus, it takes time to hear back after applying, so if you have submitted dozens of applications without hearing anything, don’t give up.
