Tips for managing stress during your job and internship search

Looking for a job or internship can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety for many students. Recent news of inflation and layoffs can heighten the pressure and make the job search feel more challenging.

If you feel stressed about the job search process, you can incorporate these strategies to help you manage those feelings.

Avoid comparisons

Try not to compare your job or internship search to your friends or classmates. Each person’s experience is unique. Your peers may have different connections, ambitions or skills that helped them secure an interview or discover an opportunity. Comparison can foster insecurity and unnecessary pressure. Instead, focus on your goals and opportunities.

Give yourself grace

Avoid all-or-nothing thinking, like I’ll never get an interview. Change your perspective by adding ‘yet’ to your thought process. For example, I haven’t been invited to an interview yet. This subtle shift can do wonders for your outlook. Also, remind yourself that the job search process can feel stressful for other students and that many other students are still looking for jobs and internships.

Make a plan

The job and internship process includes many steps, like writing your resume, creating online profiles and searching for open positions. Establish goals for your job or internship search and create an achievable and sustainable plan. For example, how much time do you want to spend on job search activities each week? What steps will you take to meet your goals? Schedule time into your week to work on your job search. And don’t feel pressure to look for jobs outside your scheduled time.

Consider what ‘good enough’ means to you

You may not get your dream job or internship right off the bat and that’s okay. Consider what other types of positions would meet your standards. Explore these expanded job options and apply to the ones that are ‘good enough’. Avoid pressuring yourself to get the best possible job right now. Other opportunities could help you gain experience and enhance your resume to help you land your dream job in the future.

Create security

If you rely on a job or internship for financial security, make a backup plan in case you don’t find a full-time position by your goal date. If things don’t go as expected, you will then have a way to support yourself. Consider whether you can move in with your family or find a part-time job while you continue to search for a steadier opportunity. A backup plan can help reduce your stress and extend your timeline for finding a permanent position. 

Take a break

Don’t let the job search consume your life. Take time to enjoy activities and time with friends. Taking a break can help clear your mind, improve your outlook and reinvigorate you to move forward. You don’t have to feel like all your time must go to looking for a job or internship. Take care of yourself throughout the process.

Seek support

You do not have to navigate the stress of finding a job or internship alone. Reach out to your support network, including your family, friends, professors or advisors. Sometimes talking through your concerns with another person can help reduce your stress and find a plan to move forward. 

You can also connect with the following campus resources.