This post was originally published as documentation for graduates of devCodeCamp’s 12-week coding bootcamp as part of their job-preparedness training
Thousands of tools exist today to help you find the perfect career. This resource is one of them. However, no matter how many tools are invented, it will never be easy to find a job. The main point of this introduction is to prepare you mentally for the marathon that is the job hunt. This process will be full of ups and downs and there will no doubt be a point where you want to quit. Unfortunately for you, you’re not allowed to quit, sorry!
Job hunting requires tenacity, defined below. You have to decide that you really want what you’ve set out for yourself. Mentally preparing for this challenge will be incredibly important to your success.
Tenacity is not a skill everyone is born with. Luckily for those of us who were not blessed with this gift, tenacity is something you can learn. Here are some of my tips for building tenacity.
Practice doing things you don’t want to do.
Find ways to make things you hate doing less horrible. Do you like listening to music? Maybe a snack once an hour will help you. Find your joy. Use that to make your experience better.
Figure out when to put your head down and work through something and when to walk away for a while.
Learn how to take a temporary break to increase your resolve.
Know why you’re doing something. Keep in mind these end goals when you run into roadblocks.
Keep in mind the following: When you have achieved your goal, you will look back on where you are now and be in awe of how close you were even though you didn’t know it. When you sit down at your desk at your first job, you’ll think back on where you were one week before, one month before, six months before, and a year before. You’ll remember how distraught you felt. You’ll remember how much you wanted to give up. Then, you’ll remember that you didn’t give up. Tenacity is a skill, and like any other skill, you have to practice it. Begin practicing now.