How to Reduce an Insecurity Mindset as a Job Seeker
Introduction
Job searching can be emotionally challenging, often leading to self-doubt. I know this all too well because I am a job seeker, seeking new opportunities in Canada, as a person with all my educational and work experience in Korea.
It has been almost three months since I started seeking a job, so I want to share the insights I’ve gained from this journey. I’ll discuss how to focus on building healthy habits and shifting your mindset, and how to navigate this journey with more confidence. I want you to know, if you are a job seeker, that you are not alone!
Focus on the Process, Not Just the Goal
Focusing on the process means purely enjoying learning and improving your skills instead of fixating solely on securing a job. I know this is not easy, especially if you have not voluntarily left your previous company, like in the case of a layoff, or if your contract has simply ended, which is my situation.
I want to share my story. When I was in high school, as a Korean student, I solely focused on getting into a highly-regarded university. I was constantly told by teachers that achieving that goal would allow me to get everything I wanted. You know, I can’t just dismiss the stereotype that Koreans are obsessed with education; it’s a hard truth. However, it didn’t take long for me to understand that getting into university is just another starting line. The only thing that changed was the expectation — people now looked forward to much higher performance, and my next task became getting into a huge company like Samsung.
Even though I entered my dream university, I wasn’t really happy about that. When I realized this hard truth, that was the moment I decided to find what I truly wanted to focus on and enjoy what I was doing.
Since then, I’ve trained myself to focus on enjoying the process, not achieving the goal. That viewpoint changed a lot. I wasn’t feeling insecure, at least less than before, and wasn’t disappointed about unexpected results because I did my best, enjoyed the learning journey, and knew I could do better next time.
Set Personal Goals
I love data science. I want to help people make better decisions through data-driven approaches. However, I don’t want my career goals to consume my entire life. So, I set a personal goal alongside my professional one of landing a job.
My personal goal is to be healthier. Since last year, because of very personal reasons, I haven’t cared about maintaining a healthy, balanced life, and I gained a lot of weight. So I set a personal goal to lose some weight by the end of this year. Personally, this is my way to reduce uncertainty. You know, even though I work hard, I might still be a job seeker at the year’s end. But if I have a personal goal and achieve that, I can feel like at least I accomplished something!
Establish a Routine
Having a structured daily routine gives you a sense of control and direction. Sticking to a schedule can improve your productivity and reduce feelings of uncertainty. Here’s a rough routine I follow on weekdays. I focus on studying before noon, which is the most productive time for me. In the afternoons, I typically apply for jobs, do some writing, or work on personal projects.
I highly recommend the post “Maximizing Productivity Through Systems” by Go Lee for creating an effective system. I think the key is to control the variables that we can control. You know, job market circumstances and other threats are things we can’t control.
Here’s my typical daily schedule (weekdays):
- Before noon: Study, interview prep (SQL query interview, coding test, etc.)
- Afternoon: Applying for companies, writing, working
- Evening: Workout, review difficult concepts or questions that I struggled to solve that day
Also, I want to go to bed each night without regrets, knowing I’ve done my best in my job search. This is another way for me to maintain confidence — knowing that I’m doing everything I can.
Stay Connected
Staying connected with others has been crucial throughout my job-searching journey. I knew that if I isolated myself and lost confidence, both my situation and mental health would deteriorate. My family and friends never judged me based on where I was in life; they genuinely liked me for who I am. Additionally, networking can lead to new opportunities, so I sent out cold messages and connection requests through LinkedIn, which was my primary way of connecting with data scientists in Canada.
Here’s how I stay connected with people:
- Networking through coffee chats and LinkedIn messages: This helps me stay on the right track, discover new opportunities, and understand the differences between hiring processes in Korea and Canada. I also fine-tune my job search strategies based on the advice I receive. For those interested in networking, I recommend watching Erin’s video, “How to Network on LinkedIn & Land a New Job FAST.”
- Mentoring: I have a mentor with years of experience in the data science industry. We meet regularly via Zoom. Since my background is primarily in government organizations, these sessions help me understand what it’s like to work as a data scientist in the private sector and keep me on the right track.
- Study group: Since starting this journey, I’ve met every Saturday with like-minded individuals, especially women in STEM. We share tips on landing jobs abroad, boost each other’s confidence, and exchange strategies based on our career experiences. This community has been invaluable in helping me realize I’m not alone.
- Family and friends: No words needed — I’m incredibly grateful to have such supportive people around me.
Practice Daily Affirmations and Journaling
Incorporating daily affirmations, gratitude journaling, and emotional journaling into your routine can be powerful tools for shifting your mindset and reducing insecurity during your job search. These practices not only foster positivity but also reinforce your inner strength.
For me, journaling has become a way to track when I feel insecure. It helps me identify patterns and triggers. For instance, during my 10-minute breaks, I often watched short videos on YouTube or scrolled through Instagram to see my friends’ updates. However, I found that this habit wasn’t good for my mental health. It made me feel more insecure and made it harder to return to my work. By journaling about these experiences, I was able to recognize this pattern and make positive changes.
Daily affirmations and gratitude journaling, on the other hand, help me stay positive. They remind me of my strengths and the good things in my life, even when the job search feels tough. Research has shown that practicing daily affirmations can reinforce self-worth and reduce insecurity, particularly in stressful situations (Steele, 1988).
I encourage you to try these practices and see how they work for you. You might be surprised at the patterns you discover or the boost in positivity you experience. Remember, the goal is to find what works best for you in managing your emotions and maintaining a positive outlook during your job search journey.
Exercise Regularly
Research has shown that regular exercise significantly reduces stress and anxiety, which are common during job searching, by boosting mood and self-confidence, as highlighted by the research of Anderson and Shivakumar (2013). This makes exercise a powerful tool in managing the emotional challenges of job seeking.
Fortunately, working out has been one of my hobbies since I studied Statistics in grad school. I started exercising because I experienced back pain from sitting and working on my laptop for hours. I’ve tried many forms of exercise, including personal training and climbing, but Pilates and yoga have become my daily routine.
Both Pilates and yoga share a commonality: they make me focus on my present self, similar to meditation. This focus helps me stay positive. Every day, when I finish working out, I feel accomplished and energized, which helps me return to my job-seeking process with renewed vigor — whether it’s applying to companies or studying to improve my skills. Exercise has become the foundation of my routine.
I also do home workouts. If you feel you don’t have much time or get bored working out, I recommend these two YouTube channels: BIGSIS Workout and The Fitness Marshall. They’re my favorite home workout companions. These channels offer short, engaging workouts that you can easily fit into your schedule, even on busy days filled with job applications and interview prep.
Remember, the goal is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy and can stick to consistently. Whether it’s yoga, running, dancing, or any other activity, regular exercise can be a powerful ally in your job search journey, helping you maintain a positive mindset and tackle challenges with renewed energy.
Find Ways to Contribute
Giving back to my community and helping others matters. It’s not only a way to create positive impacts on society but also a means to boost my self-worth. However, as a job seeker, I initially wondered how I could contribute. Here’s what I discovered.
I mentioned earlier that I regularly meet with a study group of women in STEM who are seeking opportunities abroad, aiming to get out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. During a conversation with the organizer, who is a friend of mine, I received a suggestion to expand this study platform together. I agreed, and we started to develop and grow this study group platform.
As a job seeker, part of my role is to increase my online visibility and work on personal branding. I often research materials and tips to do this better. I realized that I could share what I’ve learned with like-minded people, turning it into my way of contributing to the community. This aligns perfectly with one of the main focuses of our study group — personal branding and learning to “brag better.”
This opportunity has multiple benefits:
- It’s another way to stay connected with people, creating a virtuous cycle for both myself and others. We share ideas and encourage each other to keep moving forward when we feel insecure.
- Content creation motivates me to experiment more, constantly evaluating which strategies work best so I can share the most effective practices with others.
- It allows us to recognize each other’s strengths and realize the value of skills we might have previously thought tedious.
- It helps me fill the gap between jobs. I get paid for researching and developing content, which is an added bonus.
While this contribution might not directly reduce insecurity during the job search process, it certainly helps. It keeps me engaged, provides a sense of purpose, and allows me to see my skills in action. Moreover, the mutual support within the group is invaluable when facing the uncertainties of job seeking.
Through this experience, I’ve learned that contributing doesn’t always have to involve grand gestures. Sometimes, sharing your journey, skills, and knowledge can be just as impactful — both for others and for your own sense of worth and confidence during the job search.
Conclusion
The idea to post this comes from my own insecurity. I want people seeking jobs like me, who feel the same way, to know that they are not alone. I hope to share the things I have tried to reduce insecurity, feel better, and stay positive. I hope these tips have helped you, even if only a little.
Sources
Anderson, E., & Shivakumar, G. (2013). Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Anxiety. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4, 27.
Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 261–302.
