Don’t be depressed about your job search -
Techniques for staying positive:
These are challenging days in which we live. Times are hard, especially with the economy shedding jobs at such a rapid rate. It is very important to keep a positive attitude when facing difficult times, especially if you're out of a job and have been searching for some time.
I regularly read Jason Alba's blog to get good thoughts about career management, job searching, and the use of LinkedIn to help these and other areas of professional life. He had a good post that dealt with this topic of Dealing with Job Search Depression, and I thought I would share a few of his helpful hints.
Get out of the house DAILY. You cannot maintain human sanity unless you are around other humans. Exercise DAILY. Read inspirational stuff. I cherish reading the autobiography of Hellen Keller, or Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture. These books helped ground me. I love a good Grisham novel, and I LOVE to read Inc Magazine. There are certain scriptures that really hit home. Find something inspirational... and read it. Read good, healthy stuff regularly.
Volunteer. Volunteering is just plain good. I tried two places, got reject both times, and gave up. I should have been more creative. Find places where you can keep your skills sharp, or contribute to the good of humanity.
HELP SOMEONE. Usually when they say "volunteer" in a job search I think about volunteering in a business setting. Do that. Beyond that, find someone who you can help in some way, big or small.
It is important to continue on with normal human activities even during a job search - even if the job search lasts a long time. The more that you have a routine and a set of regular productive activities, the more positive your attitude will be and the shorter your job search will seem. That positive attitude will reveal itself naturally during interviews, which will only improve your chances of getting hired.