How to Manage Job Search Fatigue [5 Steps to Get Back on Track]

7 min. read

Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash.

Once upon a time in my early twenties, I looked for a job for eight months. It sucked.

That “I’m-jobless” anxiety blended with feelings of utter worthlessness and hopelessness… It has a special kind of flavor. If Jelly Beans came in “Misery,” I would imagine they’d taste like those mornings when I would open my inbox and find nothing but ads.  

Long-haul job seekers without income are especially vulnerable to fatigue and burnout—having to get up day after day with nothing to show for the effort besides some rejections. 

It’s hard to believe in the midst of a desperate job board scrolling marathon, but there are some things you can do to make your search less torturous.

First thing first…

1.Take a break from the job boards

“Wait a second. Take a break? That’s your advice?”

Yep. And yes, taking a break when you’re already “on a break” can feel counterintuitive and bring about an ample dose of guilt. Or at least it did for me. Even a walk in the neighborhood felt like an indulgence I didn’t deserve. 

But here’s the thing. Job searching is a job. And if you’re struggling to get out of bed in the morning, pushing forward isn’t helpful. You’re only going to wedge yourself deeper into the squishy depression armchair where you started to take afternoon naps. (I’m not judging. I, too, love naps. And squishy armchairs.)

Time to do some mental gymnastics and, if only for a day, embrace the beauty of being unattached. Utterly untethered, floating through the world. Accept your aimlessness. And then plan a few days of free or low-cost activities that make you feel un-terrible.

For me that used to mean going to the library, treating myself to a coffee, going to the beach or hanging out with a friend for a day. 

For you, it could be…anything. As long as it genuinely replenishes your brain. To be clear, I’m not saying, no streaming, just no streaming 24/7. At least one of your activities should involve putting on pants.

2. Re-evaluate your job search plan 

Once you’ve had some breathing room from your search, it’s time to come back to the drawing board. Hang with me here, things are about to get a bit new age-y. 

You gonna need to reconnect with your “why.” Are you nodding or did I make you throw up in your mouth? 

In other words, you’ll need to figure out what exactly you’re looking to get out of your job search.

Sure, everyone needs an income, but I bet there’s more to it. Do you need to work specific hours? A flexible schedule? Good health insurance? A creative challenge? A team that supports you? A position in an industry you’ve always wanted to try? More money? A transition to a new field?

What about jobs you have applied to so far? Did you feel excited about them and devastated not to hear back? Or were you rolling your eyes at the job description even as you hit “Apply?”

Document your thoughts. The medium doesn’t matter. It can be a Google Doc or a piece of printer paper, as long as you get these thoughts out of your head and in front of you for some thorough examination.

This step may be easier for some people and harder for others. For many of us, our identities are wrapped up in the idea of work itself, so questioning what we want out of a job can be challenging. Not to mention that job searching comes with in-built power dynamics—you send out applications and passively wait for an employer to pluck you from obscurity.

Figuring out why you’re sitting down at your desk every day gives you a sense of direction and control.

3. Figure out where you get stuck

Maybe you’re missing some skills.

Maybe you’re not looking at the right job boards or talking to the right people.

Maybe what you really want is a new career. Or your own business.

Or maybe you're already aligned with what you want, but simply had terrible luck because job searching is awful.

Write this down too. And lest I sound dismissive and make this sound easy, let me assure you it is not. Self-awareness is hard. 

Eight years ago, this process made me realize that I was focusing on jobs that were completely wrong for who I am, for my values, preferences and strengths.

Instead of typing in a search term, I would scroll Indeed for six hours each day and apply to any company that looked like they would hire an English major. 

After months of this self-inflicted torture, I decided to look only at jobs that I could do well.

Had I not done that, I could have ended up working as a receptionist in a garden décor warehouse in Long Beach, surrounded by plastic garden gnomes.

Which would have been terrible. Because the only thing I fear more than garden gnomes is having to transfer a call on a Mitel phone.

4. Write out some next steps for your job search 

Your next steps will depend on your pain points. 

If you feel like you’re applying to relevant jobs but aren’t hearing back, maybe you need to take a closer look at your resume. Could you structure it in a way that shows off your experience better? Are you missing a crucial skill? Are there courses you could be taking to help you learn that skill?

Maybe you need to check specialized job boards or reach out to companies you’re interested in directly instead of scrolling through hundreds of posts.

Are you not finding jobs that excite you? Or maybe you are, but you feel like you’re not qualified? Maybe you’re done with your industry. Maybe what you’re truly looking for is a career transition. 

(And there you were, thinking we were done asking questions!)

Whatever your next steps are, jot them down somewhere. They could be as simple as researching job boards for your industry or adding some keywords to your resume. 

They could also be more complex. If you realize you need to transition to a new field that may involve getting a part-time survival job or freelancing while you pick up new skills. 

5. Create rules around how and when you look for jobs

Treat your job search like a job. Because it is!

It takes a tremendous amount of brain power to accomplish anything when there’s no tangible reason to leave your bed. I’d argue it’s harder to ramp yourself up for a day of job searching than it is for a full day at a 9-5.

That means you’ll need to set some boundaries, take breaks and have a plan for your days. 

Make a schedule (but keep it flexible)

Follow a morning and evening routine. No, you don’t need to wake up at 5 a.m., do yoga or drink hot lemon water (unless you want to). But having a defined starting and ending point to your day bookends your job search, keeping you accountable and protecting you from turning it into a 10-hours-per-day endeavor.

Commit to not checking your email before or after a certain point in the day.

Have a set schedule for job search hours when you put your head down and get to work, and don’t punish yourself for living life outside of that time.

Add at least one, non-job-search activity to your schedule.

Take a free online course, set a standing lunch date with a friend, update (or set up) your website. Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s somewhat healthy and gives you a respite from reading job descriptions.

During my eight-month search, I took some free graphic design classes on Coursera, read a bunch of stuff on SEO, started volunteering at an animal rescue once a week and picked up the guitar again.

Did all those things happen perfectly every week? Nope. But they were on my calendar, and I knew that I would feel better and have a more productive day if I accomplished at least one of them.

Make a plan for your day.

Scrolling LinkedIn from nine to three is not a plan. Here's an example of a plan:

“Today I’ll research one 'dream' company, look at their job board and reach out to their content director about freelancing/potential full-time positions. Then I’ll apply to three to five jobs that are a strong fit for my skills.“

Put your plan in writing somewhere. A sticky note on your laptop or a set of detailed tasks in Asana, whatever works for you. The point is to make an honest attempt at following your plan and giving yourself grace on days when you can't.

Key Takeaways

Here are some steps you can take to make a long job search less miserable.

1.Take a break

Step back from your job search, even if only for a day. As the cliché goes, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. Especially when you’re in the middle of an anxiety-driven job search scroll, applying for every job posted on the internet. Get some distance to gain perspective.

2. Re-evaluate your job search

Think about what you need out of your job search. It’s never just the job. Write down what you need and what you value in your career.

3. Determine what’s not working

Look at how your needs are misaligned with your current job search plan. What do you need to do differently? 

4. Set some goals.

Decide on some next steps for your job search. That could mean trying different job boards or taking an online course or a “survival job” if you plan to transition to a new industry.

5. Create boundaries

Add structure to your day with a morning and evening routine. Write out how you want to spend your day and don’t forget that there’s more to your existence than your job search. Make a conscious effort to break up your day with some other activity.