Finding a new job or finding your first job is an exercise in patience, resilience, and persistence because no one likes to find out that they didn't get an interview or are just not the top choice for an employer. It can feel like you have sent a million applications even if you are still relatively early in your process of applying. There are ways you can keep things in perspective and make sure you have the staying power to get ready for a job hunt. If you're lucky, you won't need these strategies, but recognize that great workers sometimes have long job hunts, especially in specialized industries or times of economic shift. Here are some tips for how to stay sane while job hunting. We wanted to include some of the more gentle job search tips 2021 has to offer. 

This month we interviewed Jeff Stell with Business Oregon who, after 26 years working at the Oregon Department of Human Services, decided to try something new. He enrolled at Portland State University in the Master of Public Administration program and simultaneously took a new position at Business Oregon as the Business Projects Incentives Coordinator where his job was to implement incentive programs that would strengthen the development of businesses, communities, and economies in Oregon. With that shift Jeff says he “encountered three career changing opportunities" that helped him discover that a great amount of import/export activity happening across the state, and exporting wasn’t getting the attention it needed at the state and local levels.

Courtney is a functional nutritional therapy practitioner and yoga instructor. She earned her master’s degree in applied behavioral science/counseling in 2002 from Bastyr University with the intention of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist, but instead started a family of her own and stayed home for several years until her youngest started kindergarten. In 2013 she continued her studies at the Nutritional Therapy Association and works in a family functional medicine clinic in Portland, Oregon. In 2017, Courtney rounded out her education by becoming a registered yoga teacher, and currently specializes in teaching yoga to seniors.

Kira Freed, MEd, MScN, is an adjunct faculty member at Portland Community College, teaching in the Functional Nutrition program. She also has several roles at her alma mater, National University of Natural Medicine, as the Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, a Professional Teaching Assistant for the Nutrition program, and as a Food as Medicine Everyday educator. 

The past two years have been a time of incredible change, including reconnecting with nature and many of its attributes. For anyone who thought that they lived in isolation from mother nature, we all realized how interconnected humanity is. 

Teachers, childcare workers, and mentors of all types receive training in physical safety and first aid, including in CPR certification. Most parents and guardians feel comfortable knowing that the people caring for their children have a strong knowledge of these skills so they can respond quickly should a rare crisis occur. It ensures caretakers have the tools they need to maintain physical safety themselves or seek the necessary emergency assistance from a local hospital or other healthcare resources.  

Dr. Sean Harry is an instructor who has worked at the CLIMB center since 2011. Harry teaches early business start up classes through the Small Business Development Center. Dr. Harry has helped hundreds of small business owners, and now he is ready to help you! Read more about Dr. Harry below.

The past few years have shown us that more education is possible online than anyone ever thought possible. With rapidly expanding tools, professors who are growing in online teaching proficiency, and substantial savings in costs, online education has become an advantageous and valuable option.  

Portland Community College has also seen value in the idea of a local online experience, offering a variety of hybrid courses that are primarily online but with practical or hands-on components here in Portland, Oregon. Whether you're considering online college vs. traditional college or trying to choose between online colleges themselves, you'll be impressed with the options available now. You should also weigh the online college pros and cons to make an informed choice and be ready for the benefits and drawbacks of this kind of program.  

The past few years' turmoil has caused many recurring mentality shifts, but a surprisingly positive one is how people have spent time in their homes and with their immediate families or roommates. Here in Portland, family members who would have been out at work or in socializing settings poured their time into their family life and, in many cases, discovered that there were changes needed in their more hectic day-to-day. 

In many careers, your first step after college is going to be an internship. Internships provide you with valuable experience, give you crucial insight into the working world, and help you land your first job. If you are truly fortunate, you may even be able to leverage your internship into a full-time position with that company.