Getting frustrated during a job search is more common than you’d think, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re out of the ordinary if the occasional setback feels hard to take. You need to remember that the search is much more a marathon than a sprint, and you’ll hit walls along the way. That said, if you vent your frustrations the wrong way, it might be harder to reach your second wind. If you keep a level head and follow some useful advice to improve your approach, it can be simple to overcome any given adversity.

One of the best ways to keep things in perspective, is to simply remember that you’re not the only person going through a rough job search – far from it. In some cases, a rejection here or there may make you feel like you’re the lowest person in the world, but millions of people face this same experience every day. Looking for a job will take time, energy and the knowledge that it won’t necessarily end soon, and remembering that you’re in the same boat as many of the people you walk past in an average day will help you put that in a better context. We all break through eventually, and you just need to keep plugging away.

That said, if you truly think you need to reflect upon how you’ve been approaching the search, the news source said that while friends can be helpful, professionals are more likely to give you direct guidance. Visiting a staffing services employee can have major benefits, as they are known for specifically helping people find jobs that suit them. They will help you better direct where your applications and cover letters should be aimed, giving you insight on what has and hasn’t been successful in your search, and the areas you can see improvement. From there, you’ll likely be able to develop more in-depth strategies for approaching different companies in your initial efforts.

Utilize online tools

There are a number of online tools that you’ll likely have at your disposal, should you decide to utilize them. One of the best is LinkedIn’s group functionality, as you’ll be able to join up with thousands of industry professionals with similar experiences to you. Those who have successfully found new work will be able to share specific tips with you as to how they landed their new positions, while those who are still looking for opportunities can share what they’ve found to be more and less successful at different points in their searches. From there, it should be simple for you to gain new information and use it to your advantage.

Dealing with frustration

At some point, though, you may have a bad day or two, and as a result feel a need to vent, Business Insider found. Some of the ways you could relieve job search stress would be very negative – plenty of movies and TV shows have shown the bridges that can be burned if you react in the wrong way at the wrong time. However, there are some ways you can vent stress in a way that gets you back in the job search quicker.

One option is to talk with your friends and family, many of whom have likely gone through the same experiences you have. They can give you advice as to how they dealt with setbacks and can help you feel better.

Another way to do so, while it may immediately seem frustrating, can be cathartic over time. Organizing your job search efforts and seeing what went wrong may feel like reliving negative memories, but it can also help you pick up on new strategies you might not have expected to see.