Resilience while Job Hunting

If you’ve been applying for jobs for months - you're probably starting to feel pretty grim. Confidence takes a hit after months of silence and rejections and unsuccessful tries - it’s natural to wonder: is it me? Am I too old, too young, not enough in some way?

Even when we know there are many factors outside our control (current dire job market; impact of AI; etc), it's normal to start to feel a bit wobbly.

Resilience is not about never feeling any doubt. It’s about recovery - being able to get yourself back to a good place after another setback. This article focuses on techniques to help you have the resilience to bounce back from the wobbles.

Reality check

Most of us feel that we ‘should’ be able to get a new role in days or weeks and feel it's our fault when we don't. So - time for a reality check on that 'should'

• According to stats from Standout-CV - UK source, March 2025:

  • On average it takes 4 months, and over 160 applications to get a new role

  • That’s including the easiest (low qualification requirements) entry-level jobs which take far less time. The outlook is grimmer for many:

    • Management are currently taking 5 months and senior management 7-8 months. And recent graduates are having it tough - they’re now averaging 6 months.

  • And of course - these are averages, so half take longer; many will take much longer

• The ONS says the same - according to recent (July 25) stats, the job market is bad and worsening:

  • 17% decrease in jobs over the year (comparing Apr-Jun 24 vs 25).

  • The trend is still worsening - drop of 7% between current quarter and last quarter; and it's been consistently decreasing for 36 periods. We’re still 9% below pre covid levels.

  • There are 15% more unemployed people per vacancy quarter on quarter this year ( 2.0 unemployed per vacancy in Dec-Feb; increased to 2.3 Mar-May 25).

So - it’s not just you. The job market is tough - so don’t feel it’s your fault if it’s taking months to find that new role.

Self-care

Sounds simple - but it's so easy to neglect the basics, and this can have a disproportionate effect on how we feel. Movement, sleep, nourishing food, time outdoors - these have a surprisingly powerful effect on emotions and self-belief. We all know that endless scrolling, poor sleep, or numbing out with too much food, drink, or late-night screen time leave us flat and drained. So - check on yourself: what could you improve in your self-care today?

Focus on the 'Zone of Control'

It’s easy to spend time worrying about things that aren't in our control. World events, other people’s opinions, or who else might be applying for the same role - those hours spent scrolling socials (or news) keep our focus on things we can't do much about. These all sit in what’s called the “zone of concern.” - and dwelling here only fuels anxiety.

If you shift attention to your “zone of control” - the choices and actions you can take - you'll be surprised how much better you can quickly feel. That might mean updating your CV, learning a new skill, or simply deciding to go for a walk and enjoy the sun and nature instead of crolling. 

There’s also the “zone of influence”. This is where your actions matter, even though you don’t control the final outcome. Outreach to contacts, doing a great application, interview prep, showing up to a new class - these all belong here. The outcome of being selected isn't in your control - but you can influence how you’re seen by good preparation.

When you focus on actions in the zones of control and influence, rather than spending headspace on the negative zone of concern, you naturally feel more effective and resilient.

Notice the small good stuff

Our minds are great at looking at the negatives - what we did wrong and failed. Deciding to focus attention on what we’re doing well, makes a huge difference. 

Look at each positive action and choice - be aware that you decided to and acted on small things like: walking outside, enjoying the sun, cooking a delicious meal; sending a good application. Yes, these may seem small, but they are the day to day reminders of your agency, and build up your confidence muscles like small, frequent 'reps'. Noticing these small wins builds up your resilience.

Shift your inner patterns

Confidence isn’t a simple on/off switch - it's slowly shaped by our inner narrative. You can gradually shift these narrative patterns to be more positive with a few practices:

• Mindfulness: Even a few minutes weekly helps you step back from your negative thoughts and emotions.
  
  

• Redefine success: It's easy to measure success only by landing the job. If so - the intervening months will feel grim. So instead, count the daily and weekly actions you control to progress on this - applications sent, skills learned, connections made.
  
  

• Positive journaling: This is a great practice to train your brain to notice what is working, rather than focusing on what isn’t. Spend your days looking for positive things to journal about; recall them in the evening when writing them down. This can help shift how and what you're looking at.

Your support network

Notice who lifts you up and who drains your confidence - and choose who you'll spend more time with to keep feeling strong. Protect yourself.

With those supportive friends and family - be more ready to talk and share what's happening than you normally would. Often, just talking about the painful stuff helps lighten the load.

And use those personal and professional networks to the max while job hunting. Try to move away from feeling it's awkward and 'sales-ey' to volunteer information about what you're looking for - you're not asking them to do anything: you're just saying in case they happen to know of something offhand. A light touch like this can make it easier to spread the word - and those random mentions can lead to surprising opportunities.

In short…

Periods of job hunting are tough, and it’s natural for confidence to dip. But small choices can have a big impact on your resilience and ability to get back to a good place after a wobble. Looking after yourself, focusing on what you can control, noticing your wins, shifting your inner narrative, and leaning on supportive networks - all help.

Resilience isn’t about never feeling any self doubt - it’s about recovering from the bad moments, so you can feel good again more quickly.