by Jocelyn Luk

Created on: March 29, 2010

A hunter squats endlessly for his target. He is observing intently, aiming cautiously, and then with a bit of luck he and his family can have dinner.

No, I am not talking about the Stone Age. It is happening today, this very moment, in the twenty-first century. In my father’s generation, they “look for a job”. Today, we do “job hunting”. Somehow, factors such as population growth and compulsory education mean we’re competing with more and more people with the same goals and qualifications as we have. Therefore most of us are bound to face rejections or ignored applications once in a while.

Having stated that matter-of-factly, the reality is that the process isn’t as easy. Many go through a period of “depression” before landing on that job. It’s quite logical, because when you have nothing to do your mind tends to wander into dark corners. Here are a few ways to deal with that bad feeling.

Firstly, money might be most people’s biggest concern. Either you have to support your family, or in a hurry to pay back your degree’s government loan – who are we kidding, lack of money DOES makes life stressful. If you are in great need of cash, you might want to get a part-time or casual job. Shopping centres are good places to start. University student employment websites also have many quirky casual jobs such as moving helpers, babysitting, psychology experiment participants recruitment, etc. Sure, you might be stepping down from your professional pride, but food comes before pride. You might find yourself ending up in a different career – you’ll never know!

Your depression might come from doubts about yourself and whether anyone values your ability. Don’t! Companies all have different selection criteria, and not getting the position does not mean you are not good. I have a friend working in an HR team who told me some of her colleagues pull out potential candidates out of the pile by total randomness. So do not be let down; plus, you are at your greatest value at the moment! Take this opportunity to lend a hand to those in need, like volunteering at charity organisations. Go visit friends you haven’t seen in while, do some gardening for your neighbour, or simply spend time with your family. Everyone will think you’re the best person in the world!

Of course, I am not saying job search can be a process where you wait for your dream job to drop from the skies. Even our ancestors had to work hard to knock that bear down properly. It is very possible that we haven’t got something right in the process. Have someone read over your resume and practise interviews with you. There are workshops everywhere to help you through as well. You might even want to sit down and rethink: are you applying for jobs that you are most gifted in? Many people decide to change their career because they realise it’s not something they love or are good at, and it’s not something to be ashamed of.

Lastly, have faith in yourself. Don’t give up, because something will always turn up in the end, in one way or the other. Be careful if your depression is getting serious, because in that case you would want to get professional help. Otherwise, all the best at the job front!

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