It is often said that “the truth will set you free.” I would extend that adage, adding that in many aspects of life, the truth will also protect you and guide you. The realm of job searching is no exception. Conducting a job search is fraught with many challenges along the way. These range from what job(s) to pursue and how to effectively market yourself, to what role to accept. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining resilience despite the inevitable frustrations and rejections you will experience. Searching for a job is hard enough. I believe that it can become even more arduous if we either aren’t honest with or forget the truths about ourselves.
I believe that there are two main truths that any professional should reflect on and identify before they begin a job search:
The truth about what you want
The truth about who you are
Having clarity and conviction on these two issues before you take your first steps into a job search will help you save time, act with clear purpose, and provide a degree of psychological and emotional shielding to deflect the slings and arrows sent your way. Think of it like taking an intentional step back and performing a pre-job search gut check before any actions are taken.
The Truth About What You Want
In a previous post, I discussed why writing your own job description is one of the best ways to start a job search. I was advising you to interrogate and record the truth about what you wish to be, see and even experience in your next job. Knowing exactly what you want is a clarifying and empowering experience both in life and the job search. I want my clients to feel empowered in the job search by naming and specifically describing what they want their next role to look like, so they can go out and pursue it. This exercise can only be fruitful, however, if you are 💯 with yourself in the process.
One of the exercises that I often do with clients is to have them review a set of work-related values, rate their individual level of importance, and finally, rank their top 5 -- designating one as non-compromisable and another that they are willing to sacrifice. What this does for clients is it helps them understand at this moment in time how their values inform the type of work environment they want to be in, the type of rewards they are seeking, the type of freedom or collaboration they wish to experience and more.
Taking stock of your values in a work context provides a direct window into what’s important to you now, which may be different from what it was a year ago. As your life has evolved, your values such as work/life balance, compensation, autonomy or low stress, to name a few, could have shifted. Because work is just a part of your life, you need to look for a job that will work well in your life as you see it best unfolding. One of my current clients is highly prioritizing her work/life balance as the mother of a 3-year old who just started daycare. Another is highly prioritizing his work being valued/recognized after experiencing the opposite in his current role.
By being honest with yourself at the outset about what you want in your next job, you are more likely to seek, ask the right questions, identify, and land a job that is the right fit for you. This will support your longer-term happiness and ultimately your success and longevity in your role.
The Truth About Who You Are
I recently did an interview prep session with a client who was feeling nervous about her upcoming interview. It was not that she didn’t feel qualified for the role, her apprehension related to the fact that it had been a few years since she had intensely employed some of the skills required. While I was sure to validate the feeling, I was equally sure to surface the truth to challenge it. I pointed out to her that based on her resume and the stories I’d heard in that session, she had employed these skills to great effect, and generated success in all the places she had used them in the past. The truth was that she had in fact elevated each of the places she had been, using the very set of skills she was now questioning. In the face of pre-interview jitters, she had lost sight of the truth about what she had to offer.
Another recent client with a nonprofit background was feeling frustrated and somewhat demoralized about the significant effort she was putting into her job applications and not getting any traction. She was concerned about possible red flags in her marketing materials or not being adequately qualified for the roles she was applying to. The truth of the matter is that the combination of experiences she’s had on the foundation (grant-maker) and grantee sides of the coin and her deep pedigree in the arts made her highly qualified for the roles I’d helped her apply to thus far. Though the silence from her applications was telling her one thing, it didn’t diminish her qualifications. The truth is that she is highly qualified and there are myriad reasons beyond her control that could have caused her not to receive an interview. Unfortunately, the job search process will make you think/feel that it’s some flaw within you that’s the problem.
To be fair, this is not about absolving you or me of having any areas of growth. This is about remembering that as a person and professional, you have something to contribute and you have done things that have allowed you to enjoy whatever level of success and career progression you have achieved thus far.
Knowing and reminding yourself of the truths about who you are and what you have done professionally can protect you from the negative messages and impacts you will receive during your job search. Emotions can play a key role in your job search. Knowing your truths about who you are can help you correct and even boost your emotions for greater resilience and confidence in the process. In the famous words of Ice Cube, “you betta check yourself before you wreck yourself...” because it will do you and your job search a world of good.
If you would like guidance on grounding yourself before starting your job search, I’d love to support you! Book Now for a free consultation.
NIIATO@AVENIRCAREERS.COM | CALL/TEXT 917-740-3048