Managing your mental health during the graduate job search

Whether you're looking for an internship, industrial placement or your first graduate role, the job hunt can be tiring. Building resilience, plus balancing self-care and your ambitions, can be really challenging. Bright Network is here to support you.

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On this page, you'll meet our mental health first aiders who are on hand at Bright Network events to support wherever necessary. Additionally, you'll gain top tips for managing your mental health during university and your job search.

It can also be tricky to find out employers' perspectives on mental health - for example, how being open about mental health struggles can affect your performance at work, or what measures employers have in place to support their teams. We asked some of our employer partners at our most recent event, Diverse Legal Leaders, and have shared their insights below. We'll continue to add to these insights as we ask more employers, so be sure to check back in. We also recommend attending one of our flagship events so you can ask them yourself and get tailored responses.

Meet Katie, certified Mental Health First Aider

Top tips for managing your mental health effectively during the job hunt

1. Set goals

This can be a great way to start job hunting as you have a better idea of what you're looking for and will come across more engaged and passionate in your applications. It also can help keep you motivated and active. For example, one of your goals could be "research at least 1 employer, get in touch with a useful contact who works there via LinkedIn and submit an application for their internship/graduate role each week" so you have something to work towards and tick off consistently.

2. Use your support network

If you're feeling stressed or anxious because you feel a bit lost in your career journey and unsure what to do/where to start, reach out to someone who can give you advice. A careers advisor at your university is a great place to start, and you can often also access these services for a year or two after you graduate. However, family members and friends' parents can also be great sources of support. You can also look at mentoring services or even do a call out on LinkedIn for advice (make sure to use relevant hashtags to make sure your post gets seen more widely!)

3. It's much easier said than done, but don't compare yourself to others

This can be really hard when all of your peers are also applying to roles and planning for their future (not to mention the pressures from and success seen on social media), but your main focus always needs to be you. Your wellbeing is your priority and your goals will look different to others' - and that's ok! The best path to success is your own, not other people's that you're trying to copy.

Bonus tip: make sure to celebrate your successes! Whether this be smaller wins like submitting your first application, or big wins like getting the final interview round and finally securing your dream role. They're all great achievements and acknowledging them will keep you feeling encouraged and confident in your abilities.