Your Pre-Job Search Must

So you think it’s time to look for a new role…

Before you get lost in your social media feed of #opentowork chatter, and “How to quit your 9-5”, listen to yourself.

If you’re already down the rabbit hole, that’s okay.

Take a break from the noise, and figure out what is important to you, what you want, and what will make you happy waking up in the morning and going to work - whatever that work looks like to you.

You notice the feeling in your stomach, the uneasy tingle on the back of your neck, the sign that tells you something is off.

Something isn’t working.

You’re not happy.

The first and best thing to do is to turn off the noise - close your laptop, put your phone on 💤, and take a moment for yourself to be with your own thoughts.

The first goal is to uncover why you’re feeling this way, what is missing, and what is causing the feeling.

Did you know??

"People who very vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals than people who don’t" ^{(Mark Murphy, 2018).}

Writing things down not only helps you retain information, but it helps you visualize ideas into reality.

This exercise is crucial in determining what your next step needs to look like.

It’s easy to become blinded by the “great” companies and cultures, and shiny new startups...before you start aggressively applying, figure out what is important to you.

Here’s where to start.

1) I joined this company because...
2) I’ve been happy in this role for ____ (time)
3) What’s changed is...
4) I wish I was able to...
5) If I could change only one thing it would be...
6) If I could change three things they would be...
7) Since feeling this way in my work, it’s impacted my personal life in these ways...
8) In reflecting on my interview process, I wish I would have asked about...
9) Now that I’m feeling this way, I know these are the five most important things to me when joining a new company:
10) If the one that that I would change (#5 ^) was different, I would...

After getting your thoughts out on paper, look closely at the values you wrote down. Companies have their core values listed on their website - pay attention to these, and prepare questions to ask the interview teams to ensure they’re living up to them.

Determine what kind of role(s) and company will help you reach the goals you wrote down. Or maybe you’ve uncovered that a 9-5 isn’t for you - what’s the next step in your journey?

The last question is quite telling because we often think we need an entirely new role and it really may one thing about your current situation that is eating at you.

If it’s possible to change that through a conversation or shift in your team dynamic, would it make you happy to stay?

In your journal, write a detailed explanation of what your new role looks like, what your colleagues are like, and what problems you’re solving on a day-to-day basis by answering these questions:

_{(Answer these questions with your future role in mind, and picture yourself in it)}

→ By working at this company I’m helping:
→ In this role I am leading:
→ The best part of my week is:
→ The best part of my day is:
→ My hours are:
→ I’m grateful to my leadership for:
→ I feel ________ starting my day in this role.
→ I can finally ________, which I wasn’t able to do before.

There’s a lot of negativity about the current job market - is immersing yourself in it serving you?

Start here, and your attitude about your job search will shift.

Once your attitude shifts, your results will, too.

References:
^{Murphy, M (2018), Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them, Forbes}

That’s all for this week.
Happy Hunting!

How to Work With Me:

🚀 Learn: guides and courses for any stage of the job hunt that you’re in:

• Job Search: Strategize Your Job Search

  • Approach your job search systematically and strategically. Say goodbye to applying to submitting hundreds of applications 👋

• Interviewing: IMPROView

  • Learn to be unforgettable in interviews to land the job you want.

• Offer Negotiations: Culture Shock: Salary Negotiations

  • Check out this☝🏼 newsletter about negotiating your salary, and learn strategies to get recruiters to fight for you.

👩🏽‍💻1:1 coaching: I’ll work with you on interview prep, job search strategy, and interview role play. Book time with me here. 

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❤️ Ashley

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