Don't Burn Out on Your Job Hunt!

The term "burnout" used as a metaphor indicating the decision to quit a job due to chronic stress was popularized in the U.S. by the novel A Burn-Out Case (Greene, 1961). In the novel, the central character, an architect, quits his job and retires to the jungles of Africa, disillusioned with the people in his workplace and the demands of his job.

Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion experienced at work coupled with detachment from one's job that usually grows from interpersonal stress in the workplace. The worker facing burnout often feels inefficient and has feelings of low personal accomplishment. (These may be self-imagined, real, or mental imprints intentionally or unintentionally created by peers or superiors.)

The loss of a job is the least of the losses that can result from burnout. Often, indelible impressions left on the mind by an unkind and unsuitable workplace lead to alcohol and drug abuse, the breakdown of family and social relationships, and physical and/or mental disorders.

There are six major sources of stress on the job:

the work itself
role-based demands
relationships with subordinates, peers, and superiors
career-development issues
organizational structure and climate
lack of work-life balance

Research has found that the exhaustion component of burnout stems mostly from work overload and frustration and, to date, has focused principally on on-the-job burnout.

However, if one views job hunting as the principal job of a job seeker, then the possibility of burning out while seeking employment is a danger that cannot be overlooked. Sending out the same resume again and again, regularly being turned down, and continually facing accusations from family members can wreak havoc on the mind of an applicant.

A job seeker's stress can, and often does, lead to burnout long before he or she lands a job. Naturally, a job seeker suffering from burnout fails in personal interviews and gets trapped in a vicious cycle. Failure in personal interviews leads to stress, stress leads to burnout syndrome, and the burnt-out job seeker fails in personal interviews.

The best thing to do in such a situation is to be conscious of the phenomenon and try to avoid emotional exhaustion while you wait to get the phone call that changes your life.

Here are some very simple ways to avoid burnout while job hunting:

Spend your spare time engaging in constructive and interesting activities. Pursue your hobbies. Help out others.
Socialize with positive people. Remember that burnout can be contagious.
Don't overexert yourself looking for a job. Be convinced that the right job will come along. Remain prepared to receive it when it arrives.
Remain active. Follow up mailed resumes with phone calls and, if possible, physical meetings. Be cool. When you interview, neither give away how badly you need the job nor convey the impression that you don't need it.
Try composing variations of your resume and keep on improving upon them.
Do job-oriented social networking. Talking with others opens up a lot of avenues—and sometimes more direct avenues than searching job lists and mailing resumes.
Be open to accepting temporary work assignments until a job knocks on your door.
Find and pursue academic courses that you can add to your resume.

Following these tips will help you to stay alert and land the right job. However, more than anything, your awareness of the burnout trap will save you from being dragged into the dark depths of depression.

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Don't Burn Out on Your Job Hunt!