13 Ways To Stay Motivated When Searching For a Life Science Job

Especially during a time of increased competition for jobs, it can be hard to stay motivated during your pharma job search. Whether you’re just starting out in the industry or are looking for your next role within it, finding the job that’s right for you can be an exhausting process.

To help you stay positive and productive throughout your pharma job search, we’ve outlined some of the best ways to stay motivated when looking for a job; from setting yourself routines and short-term goals to taking breaks and reminding yourself of your achievements.

Have a Clear Goal

Having a clear idea of the types of roles you want to target will help you to organise your search effectively, and to focus your energy on the things that will help you to achieve your personal goals. Know what you’re working towards and remind yourself of this with each new application.

A good way to set yourself goals is by completing a personal SWOT analysis. Click here to find out more. 

Focus on Jobs You Genuinely Want

Job searching can be a tiring process, so focus your energy on the jobs you genuinely want to work in the most. Even if you have to expand your search to just get a foot in the door, focus on jobs with transferable skills that could help you land your ideal role. 

Set Yourself Smaller Goals

Break down your bigger, long-term goals into smaller goals to make your job search less daunting and more manageable. For example, if one of your long-term goals is to create your own website to send prospective employers to, you could break this down into the following tasks:

• Research the best websites for building an online portfolio and choose one to use
• Write an introductory paragraph to publish on the homepage
• Create a contact page 
• Make a list of the projects you want to showcase

Set Yourself Realistic Goals

Similarly, setting realistic goals will help you to stay motivated, as you won’t be continuously putting yourself down for not meeting unrealistic expectations. If you know you’re going to struggle to complete 3 applications every day of the week, then set yourself a goal to complete 3 across the week in case you have any off days. 

Set a Routine

If you’re currently out of work, keeping yourself in a routine will help you to use your time productively. Getting up at the same time every day is good for this, as is focusing a specific part of your day on your job search. If you often feel more productive in the mornings, then you might want to focus on your search between 9-12, and leave things like socialising for the afternoon to get the best use of your time. 

Even if you’re already in a job, you should incorporate time for your job search into your routine. Whilst you might not be able to spend hours completing applications after a full day at work, try to set a realistic amount of time aside to focus on your applications, either on a daily or weekly basis. 

Volunteer

If you aren’t currently working, then volunteering is a good way to keep yourself in a routine, whilst also building on your experience and giving you something extra to talk about in your applications and interviews.

Set Yourself Low-Effort Tasks to Do on Your Down Days

Have low-effort tasks in mind for days where you don’t feel up to tackling an entire application. This will help you to stay productive, whilst also giving you a break from things like cover letters. An example could be to go through different company directories and make a list of the ones you want to do more research on, or send enquiries to. 

You can visit PharmiWeb’s company directory here. 

Focus on The Things You’re in Control Of

There are some parts of your job search that you just can’t control, like the current increased competition for jobs. Focus your energy on the areas of your search that you can control; for example, improving your employability by enhancing your CV, working towards new qualifications, and keeping yourself informed of industry news and developments. 

Remind Yourself of Your Achievements

Don’t let rejection from jobs overshadow what you’ve already achieved. Make a list of both your personal and professional achievements and look at these when you need a reminder of the progress you’ve already made, instead of focusing on the hurdles in front of you.

View Your Job Search as an Experience

Finding a job isn’t an easy process, but it’s important to focus on the positives where you can. Remember that with every company you research, every cover letter you write, and every interview you attend, you’re collecting experience that’s ultimately going to help you land your dream job when the time is right.

Although you might be rejected from a role, try to think of the things you’ve gained from applying to it. If you had an interview for a role that you weren’t successful in, were you asked any new questions that you hadn’t been asked before, but which you could now answer confidently in your next interview?

Always Ask for Feedback

Where possible, ask for feedback on a job application to find out why you weren’t successful. It can be demotivating to face continuous rejection or radio silence from jobs without knowing where you’re going wrong. Ask for feedback to help you identify your weaknesses and plan your development.

Give Yourself a Break

It’s important to look after yourself during your job search and take breaks away from applications when you need to. You also shouldn’t feel guilty about spending time doing other things, as this is key in protecting yourself from burnout and keeping your search positive and productive.

Don’t Let Your Setbacks Define You…

If you aren’t having much success in your job search, don’t let this overshadow your potential. Being rejected from a role doesn’t mean you’re a bad candidate, it just means that you weren’t the right fit at this specific time. Your situation is temporary and you will find a job that’s right for you if you keep up the hard work.

Visit PharmiWeb.Jobs for more careers advice or to start searching for your next pharma job. And finally, good luck!