The job search: How to protect your mental health and what I wish adults knew

Topics mentioned: work, looking after your mental health, self-esteem

About: Mia shares her experience of job hunting, what she wishes adults understood about the realities of looking for a job today, and how to look after your mental health during the process. 

It’s no secret that today’s job market is tough. As young people - many of us fresh out of university or college - applying for a job can feel exhausting, with lengthy application forms and interview after interview standing in our way of employment. It can be really difficult to put lots of effort into a job application, only to receive a rejection email, or, even worse, be ghosted by the employer.

And this can be even more difficult when family members or older adults in your life don’t understand the reality of today’s job market.

Back in the day, getting a job was as easy as handing the boss your CV. You would often find out straight after an interview whether you got the job or not. Nowadays, however, job applicants face many more obstacles. Not only is the job market much more competitive, with more people holding degrees than ever before, but there are fewer jobs overall. Many jobs demand years and years of work experience that aren’t possible for most graduates to have achieved. It can feel like everything is against you when you’re applying for work. And this can feel even worse if the adults around you don’t understand how competitive today’s job market is, and how many interviews and tests you have to go through to even have a chance of getting a job.

Job searching, especially if you’ve applied for several positions and were unsuccessful or didn’t hear back, can take a toll on your mental health. 

Each time I was rejected, my emotions and thoughts ranged from confusion (as to why I was rejected), to inevitable disappointment, and sometimes even anger and frustration. In a way, I even felt a sense of grief and hopelessness after each unsuccessful job application, as completing each application took a lot of effort, and it felt like a waste if my application wasn’t successful. I dealt with feelings of failure and like I was behind in my life, as many other people my age had a job and I didn’t have one yet. I was also adjusting to new medication during my job search, so I dealt with side effects like nausea alongside feelings of hopelessness from rejections.

However, if you’re going through something similar, it’s important to manage these emotions as best as you can. While rejections can be disheartening, it’s important to remember that rejection is redirection, and each ‘no’ you receive is just one step closer to hearing ‘yes’. Here are my tips to look after your mental health while searching and applying for jobs:

Good luck with your job search! Remember, there are so many others in your position and you’re not alone, even if the adults in your life don’t understand your situation. You are more than the outcome of any job application.