You press ‘submit,’ and you’ve added yet another application to your list. Here’s hoping you hear something! Right? Wrong.
Not to burst your bubble, but if you are looking for a new job and the first thing you do is apply for jobs… you’re showing up late to the party.
I watched one of the worst romance-drama movies on Netflix the other night (don’t ask), and without naming or spoiling it, it’s about a young woman who has to complete a list of self-discovery tasks to receive her mother’s inheritance.
She got a tattoo, she danced in a mosh pit, and returned to her former passion of teaching English. She was initially exhilarated, invigorated, and inspired by her accomplishments, but ultimately, she realized completing the tasks was not what brought her back to herself. It was her finally realizing what she wanted in life.
Sound familiar? As corny as the story was, it’s a valuable lesson. We have been taught to follow protocols, complete lists, and take orders without question. In the context of a job search, it’s all there for us to follow: the job boards, the resume templates, and the interview tips. What happens when you aren’t getting results, or worse, you get a job and are deeply unsatisfied?
Our first instinct is to review what we did wrong or where we could improve our tactics.
Sure, someone’s performance could be the differentiator on a hiring decision, but when you stop to think about it, can we really control others’ decisions?
Can we really hope and pray that a company choosing you is all the validation and assurance you need that you are doing right? Essentially entrusting your whole life into the hands of a job?
How do you ensure you are walking or charting the right path for yourself? In this case, with a job search? I am not a god (or am I?), but I have an answer: You have to know what you want.
What do I want?
What do I need right now?
What are my goals for the future?
These are the types of questions we must habitually ask ourselves. For anything in life, but in the context of finding a new career opportunity, it is an excellent way to find clarity, focus, and intention.
Clarity: Clarity on what types of jobs, industries, locations, etc., to look for.
Focus: Conducting a targeted search and strategy, determining things like who you connect with, where you search, etc.
Intention: Knowing that where you land is a building block for the future.
I developed a comprehensive workshop that tackles this in a more detailed and thoughtful way earlier this year (join the waitlist to find out when the recorded at-your-own-pace version launches), but I wanted to create something now to kickstart your upcoming job search. Many of us just got laid off or are preparing for something new as the Fall season approaches. At the risk of being ironic or redundant, I created a checklist for you:
I still won’t reveal the name of the movie, but I hope this checklist makes you pause and think about how to show up differently for this next search.
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