Finding the strength to keep your job search going

Job searches are often marathons — not sprints. That’s especially true at this moment when so many people are out of work and businesses are not operating as usual. Hiring may be frozen or the overall process may be slower due to the ongoing pandemic. You’ll need to prepare for a longer-than-usual job search.

In other words, being a job seeker at this moment takes grit. I reached out to Angela Duckworth, who is the author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, to learn a bit about what job seekers should do during their search to set themselves up for success. Duckworth is also a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder and CEO of Character Lab.

“I’m so impressed by the people I study who are really relentless,” said Duckworth, who was also awarded a 2013 MacArthur “genius” grant for her research.

“You just have to massively hustle,” she said of these difficult times.

Set goals

One piece of advice Duckworth offered was that you should not be afraid to set long-term goals for yourself. People who do so tend to be grittier than those who do not because those goals can help overcome the most simple and annoying tasks. 

“When you have a purpose, it does somehow give meaning to the mundane.”

For example, you may not enjoy proofreading, but having the larger goal of being a published writer may make that task much more bearable. Similarly, having the ambition to find a specific type of job may make the search process a bit more tolerable.

Be open to new possibilities

Duckworth said it’s important to remember the incredible number of career opportunities that exist in the world beyond what people traditionally know. You may think jobs are still generally traditional, but there is an endless amount of careers that you may not know of yet. You should be open to discovering those types of opportunities.

“Having that openness especially now is good advice,” she said.

A math professor who Duckworth recently interviewed ended up working on the side to advise students when he noticed they weren’t getting guidance elsewhere. “He’s become a central fixture in the math department in this Ivy League school because he was hustling after the loose ball.”

Aim to impress in whatever job you have

While a person will always be happiest and perform best in positions that match their passion and skills, you should still try your best if you land in a job that doesn’t align with those factors.

“You may decide 10 minutes into a job that it’s not going to be your long term career but you should still kill it,” said Duckworth.

One potential source of motivation when you find yourself in that position is to think of the skills you stand to learn from that job. You can then use those to market yourself to other employers.

Always seek guidance

You should also seek guidance or direction throughout your job search and career, said Duckworth. “I think it’s really helpful to have some external guidance and support.”

Some people may have this in the form of a mentor, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a person they can reach out to for discussions. Fortunately, people can find guidance through other sources.

“People who I have studied who are successful are voracious learners,” said Duckworth. “They’re always reading a book or listening to a podcast. It’s about personal development, curiosity and conversations with other professionals.”

Setting aside time to read and learn is a great habit to develop, she said.

What are your tips for weathering a job search? Join the conversation.

? The follow-up:

Resumes can be a controversial topic to discuss. Everyone seems to have their own idea of what should be included on the page. We discussed the topic with TopResume’s Amanda Augustine in the last edition of #GetHired. She suggested that you view your resume as more of a marketing document and not just a chronological list of your work experiences. Additionally, she suggested leading the resume with a professional summary — not an objective. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

Another 2.98 million Americans filed jobless claims for the week ending May 9, according to the Department of Labor. The new claims bring the total number of U.S. jobs lost since the start of the pandemic in March to more than 36 million. While the new number is far below the weekly claims filed during the height of the pandemic, it still surpasses the 695,000 applications filed in October 1982 — the high before the global health crisis. The growing numbers foreshadow the unemployment rate increasing again in June. Here’s what people are saying about the data.

Some businesses won’t recover after the pandemic. Many small businesses are shuttering for good, for example. Stay-at-home orders and other directives have brought their incomes to a halt. Roughly 100,000 have already closed, according to a recent survey. Jordyn Dahl, my colleague who covers small businesses, also reports that those that remain are struggling to reopen safely and are running into issues with the various programs meant to keep them afloat. Here’s what people are saying about the closures.

Here’s who’s hiring right now. As I’ve said before, we’re doing our best to connect you with companies that are still hiring during these troubled economic times. Part of that effort is a regularly updated list of companies we know to be hiring. Some of those include Amazon, Walmart and CVS Health. Click here to see more.

? Want even more #GetHired?

I broadcast each week on #LinkedInLive to discuss job search strategies during this hectic and uncertain time. Follow my profile by clicking here if you’d like to get a notification when we go live on Fridays at 1 p.m. ET. I’ll be talking this week with CareerSherpa.net’s Hannah Morgan. Get your questions in now by leaving comments on this post.

? Help for graduates:

While graduation is a time for great celebration, this milestone for the Class of 2020 is tempered by the realization that they are likely entering the most difficult job market since the Great Depression. I’ll be hosting a special edition of #GetHired Live on Tuesday, May 19 just for graduating seniors and recent graduates. We’ll have guests from inside and outside of higher education and job search experts to answer questions. The broadcast starts at 1 p.m. ET. Graduates can register by clicking here. 

? Up next:

Many of you have reached out to me about investing in online learning during this difficult time. Often, the questions center around which skills to invest in and what will look best to future employers. In the next edition of #GetHired, we’ll talk about online learning and skill development while you’re out of work. 

? The #GetHired Job Search Guide:

As I’ve said before, I will do my best to keep you up to date with the latest tools and tips to help you #GetHired. To keep track of those various pieces of information, I created a one-stop-shop where I’m summarizing and linking to a lot of my newsletters. You’ll also find accompanying LinkedIn Learning courses below most of the topics. Click here to check out the guide.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach out to me if you have ideas on topics or questions I should address in future editions of #GetHired. You can also email me at GetHired[at]LinkedIn.com.