3 Tips for Managing Anxiety During the College Recruiting Process
Navigating the college recruiting process can feel like a daunting journey with no clear endpoint. Insights from a Career Strategist and a Director, Emerging Talent Training & Development offer invaluable guidance to students facing this challenge. The first piece of advice highlights the importance of flipping the recruiting process, while the final insight emphasizes understanding the arbitrary nature of the process. This article compiles three expert insights designed to help manage stress and maintain a positive outlook.
- Flip the Recruiting Process
- Focus on What You Can Control
- Understand the Process is Arbitrary
Flip the Recruiting Process
Stop viewing the recruiting process as a judgment of your worth. Flip it! This is actually an opportunity for you to find the right fit. When you feel anxious consider that you've already accomplished something significant by making it to this stage. The best antidote to anxiety is preparation. You aren't alone; 68% of recent graduates feel anxious, too!
Focus on What You Can Control
One piece of advice I would give to students is focus on what you can control. It can get overwhelming, but breaking down step by step can make the process more manageable.
As you prepare, research and tailor your applications. With that, remember that rejection is a part of the process. Be kind to yourself and continue to keep a positive mindset. Sometimes rejection is just redirection.
Understand the Process is Arbitrary
Students who are feeling anxious about the college recruiting process should first understand that the entire process is quite arbitrary and also that employers rarely hire every well-qualified candidate. Instead, they often offer the job to the first qualified candidate, so if you're frustrated that you've been rejected from jobs that are of great interest and for which you think that you're well-qualified, welcome to the club. What you're experiencing is frustrating and also entirely normal. It isn't that there's something wrong with you. It is that the entire experience is not what so many tell you it is, so your frustration is likely born out of a mismatch between what you've been told is true and what you're seeing with your own eyes.
