30 in 30: Don't Get Discouraged

According to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, the average job search lasts four months. Now that we are in a recession and hiring has tightened up significantly in many industries, it may take even longer. The key is to maintain realistic expectations from day one (today!) and to not get discouraged when your dream job doesn’t materialize over night. Give yourself time, and as long as you follow through on the tips that we’ll share over the rest of this month, something will materialize and you’ll soon forget the agony of writing 40 cover letters. In many cases, it will be something you never even expected.

Looking for a job in the new year? Be sure to stay on top of all the essential job-hunting tips from Gradspot's new series, 30 in 30: The Insider's Guide to Job-Hunting in '09. If you'd like to share your own tips with the Gradspot community, email 30in30 [at] gradspot [dot] com with your tip, your occupation/industry of interest, and your name as you'd like it to appear on the site.