Job hunting can be tough! Endless scrolling through pages on job sites, completing long-winded application forms and crafting the perfect cover letter is a full time job in itself. And that's all the work you need to put in in order to secure an interview. Once you secured one is when the real challenge starts.

Make a plan

It's easy to jump into a job search head first without really thinking about it but let's be real, you wouldn't start a business without at least a basic business plan so why do just that with your job search?! Before hitting the job boards, take some time to figure out what you want from your next career move. Think about job title, salary, benefits, company culture, working hours and location. Having a plan will help focus your search.

Seek inspiration away from the job boards

When you're job searching, it's easy to get disheartened looking at the same jobs over and over again so focus your search elsewhere. Hop onto social media and you could open yourself up to a whole new realm of opportunity. Remember that plan we mentioned above? Do some research into key phrases that are relevant to your job search and use these to search for job opportunities on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Take a break

It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you need to be on the job hunt every day however taking a break is important. The best way to deal with any motivational slump is to take a break so ensure you take a few days off from job hunting over the weekend or have a few job free nights here and there. You'll find that you will come back focused and better able to tackle your search.

Learn a new skill

If you've been job searching for a while, it's easy for self-doubt to creep in and before you know it you've confidence and motivation and your questioning your ability on all fronts. This is the perfect time to take that break and you can even use this time to learn a new skill. For instance, if you’re a Account Executive looking for the next step up into an Account Director role, you may have noticed a common skill with the jobs you've been applying for that you need to brush up on... Well now’s the time.

Subscribe to motivational blogs and podcasts

Reading blogs and/or listening to postcasts are a great way for you to feel motivated again. There are many career great blogs and podcasts available along with TEDtalks. Surrounding yourself with thought leaders is never a bad move so subscribing to industry related resources can also be a huge motivator and will help sustain your passion for your dream career.

FGS Recruitment is a boutique recruitment agency specialising in recruiting sales and marketing jobs in our core markets of Digital Media, Learning & Development and Market Research. Keep up to date with our latest career advice articles and jobs by signing up to our newsletter and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.