It’s been rough going during the past year, and then some, for those who have lost jobs for whatever reason. If you’ve been looking for a job for more than a few weeks you may be experiencing the feelings of defeat and despair, not to mention the urge to give up. Interviewing with no second interviews or offers coming in begins to wear thin – very fast.

If you are feeling down during this process, here are some tips to keep your spirits up. When you are feeling down, come back and re-read these tips and be sure to practice each and every one of them.

1. Don’t give up.

You may have heard some of these stories before but they remain inspirational.

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse series failed to become an instant hit, but he kept trying and in 1928 he added sound and made it an electrifying success.

Milton Hershey failed several businesses before he became the “Chocolate King” and built Hershey town. He even went bankrupt in his first business venture.

Thomas Edison patented 1,093 inventions in his lifetime, but it took him 10,000 attempts to make an electric light bulb work.

Herb Cain began his journalism career in 1938 writing for the San Francisco Chronicle. 58 years later he received a special award from the Pulitzer Prize board.

Milton Hershey failed several businesses before he became the “Chocolate King” and built Hershey town. He even went bankrupt in his first business venture.

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.” ~~ Dale Carnegie

The challenge is to pick yourself up after a failure and move forward. That is what will set you apart from “the pack.” These great “successes-after-failure stories” couldn’t have happened if these people hadn’t continued to pursue their dreams. Anyone can give up — that’s easy!

2. Practice controlling stress

Job opportunities can come your way at the most unusual time and place. Study after study published continues to indicate that “networking” is still the number one way to land a job. Take advantage of every opportunity to be with groups of people. This encompasses everything from your child’s soccer game to a Chamber of Commerce event. Don’t forget to use the social networking sites available online to reconnect with your colleagues and those with common interests. Sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to be very professional when using these sources.

Informal networking can happen at any moment and when you least expect it. An example is of a man waiting for a bus. He struck up a conversation with another man also waiting for the bus and ended up getting a job lead and an eventual offer.

3. There are going to be ups and downs

Everything looks hopeful one moment with a job prospect ahead, and then it changes to dark and dismal in the next moment when you receive a rejection. Accepting the fact that this is a stressful time and that a great deal of it is out of your control will help you put things into perspective. It’s not unusual to have highs and lows during your job search. Some days you may even feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster.

4. It’s okay to fail, let it go.

Stress becomes a problem when it begins to affect your lifestyle and health. Are you waking up in the middle of the night or skipping meals because you are feeling really down or upset? You may need to talk to someone who is a professional to get some advice about relaxation techniques. Park and Recreation departments in most cities offer relaxation courses of some kind — yoga, pilates, aerobics, or stress control exercises — for a nominal fee, that could assist you in getting back on balance.

5. Don’t wait until you get the call to prepare yourself for the interview

It is important to identify what makes you unique and what added value you can bring to the position. Reading through the job posting you are applying for and getting a sense of what it will take to do this job will help you look at the process from the interviewer’s point of view.

You want to let the interviewer know that you are the “solution to the problem,” and the best person for the job. Preparing ahead of the interview will give you a definite advantage. What this means is getting focused about what you want the interviewer to know about you. You are presenting a picture of you with words.

6. Prepare yourself

Preparing ahead of the interview will give you a definite advantage. What this means is getting focused about what you want the interviewer to know about you. You are presenting a picture of you with words. It is important to identify what makes you unique and what added value you can bring to the position. Reading through the job posting you are applying for and getting a sense of what it will take to do this job will help you look at the process from the interviewer’s point of view. You want to let the interviewer know that you are the “solution to the problem,” and the best person for the job.

7. Remember – you are not alone

Remember, it is an extremely tight job market and that for every job opening there are four or five equally qualified candidates standing in line behind you. It is essential that you are prepared, focused, and able to tell the interviewer what makes you unique and why you are the best person for the job.

Keeping upbeat is a part of your job right now. When you begin to give into the dark side you will project that to others. You want to stay as upbeat as possible, particularly while interviewing. Bringing confidence and energy to the interview are the two most important ingredients to connecting with the interviewer.