All jobseekers have a fear of something regardless if they are employed, unemployed or underemployed. For some, it might actually be the fear of going back to work itself and for others it is that they will not find a job they like or one that will pay the bills. All of this fear eventually evolves into a fear most of us experience at some point, the fear that “this is all my fault.”

This is your biggest handicap because as time goes on one generally tends to focus more on their faults and less on their job search. In order for you to get a job, you have to be positive and focused on what you want. In order for this to happen you must stop blaming yourself. Yes, this is easier said than done. Fear sometimes results in self-sabotage. It has the ability to paralyze you to the point where you stop your job search and have the attitude to just give up. You have to take a step back, refocus your strategy and move forward. Try to find out what it is exactly that isn’t working and start from there.

A helpful tip is to create an excel sheet of the jobs you apply to with the position, company, where you found the posting, how you applied and any follow ups. It makes it much easier to keep track of your job search and prevents unnecessary stress. Because let’s be honest, we’ve all received a call from an employer where we can’t recall where and what we exactly applied for.

In some cases your fear maybe that your current employer will find out you are looking before you find a new job. The best approach to prevent this scenario from happening is to be sure not to leave your resume on your work computer, apply to positions at work, apply with your work email or anything relating to your current job. On top of this do not change your LinkedIn header to “looking for a job” as your employer will probably stumble upon it.

What’s your biggest fear as a jobseeker?