Let’s face it, job searching is always a little overwhelming. Whether you just graduated from college or are looking to start a new job or career path, it can be stressful to constantly be on the job lookout. And, it adds another layer of stress when the economy takes a downturn, and job posts and industries begin to shrink.

But in times of higher unemployment, you don’t need to be scared about job hunting. You just need to identify the right skills, mindset and plan to help you land the job. Business Career Services spoke about adding resilience to your skillset to be a successful job seeker during one of their Doers Hired Summer Camp sessions on June 30.

Polly Unruh, Senior Career Coach at Business Career Services, defined resiliency as “the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, bounce back, and withstand or adjust to challenges.” Resilience is often thought of as something you are born with, but in actuality, it’s something that can be developed.

So what might resilience look like? Below are a few examples of common attributes. Resilient individuals:

• Reframe setbacks as opportunities
• Focus on events they can control
• Manage strong emotions and impulses
• Don’t look at themselves as a victim
• Commit to self-care in all aspects of their life
• Develop a growth mindset
• Use rejection as an experiment to help them learn from mistakes, take action to do things differently next time and keep moving forward
• Ask for help when they need it (Business Career Services is here for you!)

Three University of Utah alumni who graduated during the 2008-2009 recession – Lianna Kinard, Bradon Godfrey, and Greg Bisping – also joined the session to offer advice and draw on some parallels between what they learned from their experiences during that recession to today’s circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lianna Kinard, a 2009 marketing graduate, spoke about how her job search post-graduation ended up with her taking a job in disaster cleanup. While it wasn’t an industry she had ever considered coming from a television background, it was what ultimately helped her land her current role as the Vice President of Marketing for The Buckner Company. She wrote down five pieces of advice she learned during that time that she’s kept with her throughout her career:

1. “Be open to opportunities. Take a look at the industries that are thriving right now. They may not be your dream jobs or industries, but they could lead you to great opportunities in the future.”
2. “Relationships are everything. Reach out to your network and any resources you can think of. These could be your neighbors, past coworkers, colleagues, neighbors, etc.”
3. “Fall forward. Everyone falls in life; the key is to not fall back but fall forward and to recognize that everyone has failures.”
4. “Recognize the small wins. You are your biggest critic. Don’t focus on all the negatives and be cognizant of recognizing when you have a win, whatever size it may be.”
5. “Be grateful. It’s easy to get caught up in your life. Being grateful will get you far and help with your mindset.”

Greg Bisping, Associate Director for the Master of Science in Finance and Master of Real Estate Development programs emphasized the importance of resilience. “Just because you get a no today [for a job offer], doesn’t mean it’s a no forever,” explained Bisping. “Don’t miss out on the opportunity to still connect with those people.” He also mentioned the importance of continuing to invest in yourself post-graduation.

Bradon Godfrey, a former NFL athlete turned businessman, spoke a lot about having the ability to compete every day regardless of where you’re working or what you’re doing and always strive to be better. “There are always opportunities with challenges. You just have to be willing to find them,” explained Godfrey. “It helps too if you figure out what you have to offer, hone it, and become clear on it.”

Want to put your job searching skills to the test? Sign up for the Doers Hired. Career Fair on Tuesday, July 14, 2020! Find more information and register here.