Third-year marketing student Maika Archambault sought advice on how to cope with job-search anxiety from Cynthia Allan, a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) at the Student Health and Wellness Centre, as well as some upper-year students.
Here are some insights and approaches to help guide and support you through these challenging times.
Put yourself out there: That’s where the jobs are
Securing a job is all about taking chances.
“Most people I know have found opportunities through connections with family, friends, professors or professionals they’ve met at events.”
Jenna Downing-Sparr
— Third-year accounting student
“Networking is a great way to put yourself out there. It shows employers that you’re not just another passive applicant submitting a resumé online,” Jenna adds.
If you like what a company does, or see that you align with its brand, be curious. Seek out more information and see if the company has positions available. Use your updated LinkedIn profile to make connections.
If it feels too intimidating to connect directly with companies through HR or talent acquisition, use your existing connections to ask about any opportunities they may know about. They can help you find an “in” that you didn’t even know existed.
If this sound scary, Cynthia Allan shares these words of advice: “Set small, realistic goals for yourself. Start by sending a few LinkedIn messages or by walking around a career fair. Then, the next time you present yourself to employers, it will be much less daunting.”
“Building confidence is like building muscle — it may feel awkward and intimidating at first, but each effort makes the next experience easier.”
Cynthia Allan
— Senior Psychotherapist, Student Health and Wellness Centre
Know yourself before you sell yourself
Getting to know yourself and taking the time to be intentional about your job search can help you build a concrete plan and reduce feelings of confusion and worry.
“Set goals and schedule intentional times where you sit down and pursue your job search. That way, it doesn’t become all-consuming,” Allan says.
Chris Uriel Gnakale, a fourth-year communications and political science student, adds: “It’s also important to step back and think about how you can tailor your resumé and present your skills to match the jobs you want.”
“When you’re repeatedly applying for jobs you ultimately don’t align with, the process can be draining.”
Chris Uriel Gnakale
— Fourth-year communications and political science student
Crafting your messaging to target specific jobs could be the magic bullet that finally cuts through the noise.
Get involved: Your resumé will thank you later
Get experience by doing things you love. It can be daunting to try to learn new skills but it’s all in your mindset. For example, I’ve worked with so many people and projects thanks to my involvement in clubs. With 350+ student clubs, an average of 300 volunteer partners each term and several other opportunities, uOttawa provides a range of ways to find something that you’re passionate about.
Finding out what experience employers want will help you target the skills you should develop. If you want to improve your writing, join a club that publishes articles. If you want to develop your coding skills, join a hackathon. Or if you want to improve your bedside manner, volunteer at a senior living community.
Your portfolio is louder than you think
Never give up. And don’t be shy about highlighting your university achievements. At the end of the day, you’re your own cheerleader. If you won an interdisciplinary challenge or worked on an interesting course project, be sure to add these to your portfolio. Many students invest time to get involved and act on great ideas, yet they sometimes forget to mention them to potential employers.
Proving you have the skills that fit with your career path can help you score an interview.
So many aspects of looking for a job can be a source of anxiety — networking, interviews, rejections, financial pressures. These can all add up and result in ineffective job search strategies, procrastination or not starting your search at all.
A good mindset makes all the difference when going through a job search. Finding ways to cope with anxiety can help you build resilience and prevent burnout.
For more, attend Cynthia Allan’s workshop Calm the Chaos: Managing Job Search Anxiety on March 11. It will explore:
- Why job search anxiety happens (and why it’s normal)
- How to manage rejection and self-doubt
- How to stay motivated without burnout
- Ways to approach the job search with greater self-compassion
- Concrete strategies for calming the nervous system