The fear that comes with changing your job can keep you rooted right where you are — bored, complacent, miserable or unemployed. Change is scary, which is why job searching stress and anxiety can overpower any desire for a career transition. To avoid abandoning the job hunt, check out these tips to help you persevere.

Change Your Attitude

Not sugar coating it — the job search process can be quite dreadful. But whether you want to find your dream job or just become employed, the right frame of mind will make all the difference. Think of job hunting as an opportunity, while understanding that disappointments are not only possible but likely.

Ken Sundheim, Forbes contributor and founder of a recruiting firm, advises, “turn letdowns into ambition instead of inaction.” He adds that "rather than focus on problems, acknowledge them, respond with solutions and change what you’re doing that’s not working."

Stop Procrastinating

If you’re stuck in a funk and overwhelmed, procrastination is sure to follow. This lack of momentum keeps you further away from your goals. The first step is to recognize your fears. 

Some common questions that stem from fear are:

• What if I fail?
• What if I'm not good enough?
• What will people think when I say I'm looking for a job?
• What if I'll never find the right fit?
• Where do I even start?

If you find yourself asking these things, you can bet that some fears are holding you back from your full potential. When you acknowledge those fears, you can choose to conquer them and not play the victim. Once you adopt a resilient attitude, the next step is to take action. Create a plan and break it down into baby steps. Keep yourself on a schedule and stay disciplined. Approaching your job searching responsibilities without emotion, second-guessing, or predicting the future will help you stay on track.

Accepting Rejection

Rejection is a significant fear, and it stings. Repeated rejection can leave you feeling that you’re unhireable. This feeling will paralyze your process and be embarrassing to share with friends and family. Using repeated rejection as an opportunity for some self-evaluation is essential. Are you genuinely putting in the hard work and using all of your resources such as networking, attending job fairs, or meeting with a recruiter? If so, consider your skill set, interviewing abilities, portfolio, and salary requirements. You may need to lower your expectations, go back to school, or possibly choose a new career path entirely.

Take a Risk

You may wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. But the bigger question to ask is what if you're holding yourself back from more considerable success, growth, or even higher compensation? If your gut’s telling you it may be time to move on, take a risk and embrace the challenge of starting new. 

Carve Your Career Path

Having a job is a good thing, but lacking a career path is a whole different story. If it’s time to leave your position, will you just look for another job laterally, or take the next step in your career? Facing a truth that your career is a little hazy, even nonexistent, adds a whole new level of stress to find a new job. Taking a class or attending a conference to gain a new skill can be the answer to discovering what your true passion is. Empower yourself to take control of your future. 

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