It’s easy to get disheartened when you are job seeking, especially if you’ve been searching for a long time. The retail and hospitality industries are competitive, and it can take a while to find a suitable role, especially at the more senior level. Rejection is tough, especially when it is repeated.

Here are some tips and strategies to help you stay positive, and motivated, during your search for the perfect retail job.

Develop a routine
Treating your job search like a job can help you stay motivated, and stops you spending time doing nothing and dwelling on negative thoughts. If you can schedule your job search activities between normal working hours it also means you can stop thinking about it in the evenings and at weekends.

Take time for yourself
Even though you might feel like you have to be actively searching on a daily basis, it’s important to take time away from your job search to rejuvenate and think about other things. Spending all your energy and focus on looking for work can lead to burn out and exhaustion. By taking some time away to do other activities, you can keep a sense of perspective and come back to your job hunt with a fresh mindset and more energy.

Set achievable goals
Goal setting can be a great way to stay motivated and positive. Make your goals achievable and realistic and give yourself a reward for achieving them. By focusing on what you have accomplished along the way, whether that is organising your CV or finishing a job application, you can maintain a more positive outlook and hopefully reduce negative feelings.

Get support
Joining a group of other job seekers can be a great way to get support and help stay on track. Professional groups and job seeker networks can also give you valuable tips and advice for finding and applying for jobs in your industry.

Volunteer Your Time
I get it—it can be tempting to either spend all of your time looking for more open positions just giving up. But, if you’re currently unemployed or have some extra free time, go ahead and put yourself out there to volunteer for a worthy cause. Volunteering is a great idea for a few reasons. First, it presents an opportunity to network and meet a few new people—something that never hurts when you’re job hunting. Plus, volunteer work looks great on your resume and shows that you’re willing to find productive uses of your time outside of the office. Finally, making a positive impact and contribution is a surefire way to lift your spirits.

View your unemployment as an opportunity to get in shape.
If you aren’t working all those long hours right now, why not use some of your free time to exercise the way you wanted to when you were spending time fighting traffic to get home or working overtime? It’s okay to take some time for yourself and your health while you’re out of work. Plus, getting in shape while unemployed will help you stay positive by releasing endorphins in your brain, which act as a natural antidepressant and can boost your daily mood.

Enhance your skills
Even if you are on par with employer expectations, it’s 2017 and your skills and experience now appear one year older. Consider new challenges like courses or volunteering. Hiring managers seek out life-long learners.

Expand your network
Find time to reconnect with old contacts and make new ones. Using LinkedIn is a great way to start the process. Joining associations and networking events present excellent in-person opportunities.

Staying positive is one of the best things you can do to help improve your chances of finding a job. Negativity can be a deterrent to potential employers, so staying positive increases your chances of successfully landing the retail position you’re looking for.