Your Next Job Search Could Change Your Life

Our cappuccinos were rippling.

My mind flashed to the scene in Jurassic Park where similar vibrations meant an impending T-Rex attack. This time the cause was a shaky leg under the coffee table.

Tim was stressed.

Man, my company is laying off our whole team next month. I’m super stressed about finding a new job — no idea where to start. No idea what I even want to DO!

Still thinking about dinosaurs, I replied distractedly.

Congrats dude, this could be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

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Whether you’ve been fired, laid off, or are just shopping around for a new job — the next few months could change your life. Get stoked.

No matter what stage of your career you’re at, investing more in your job search can make a bigger impact in your life than you possibly imagined.

Here’s why.

Sure, you can just find a new job. But you have an opportunity to change your career trajectory. A slight change in your trajectory can put you on the path to getting everything you want from your career.

A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of Y-intercept.

This is a quote from Stanford Professor John Ousterhout, who talks about why the angle of your “slope” matters much more than where you are right now.

It’s a simple concept. But if you are on the right trajectory, you will quickly surpass people who may be ahead of you now but are not growing as fast.

The right job will get you on the right trajectory.

It will lead to learning new skills, meeting great people, and will open up unlimited options.

If you capitalize on this opportunity to change your trajectory you may never have to search for a job again — you’ll be turning down job offers every week.

You are not just finding your next job.

You are finding your next job after that. You might be starting your future company. Meeting your future business partners. Setting up a meeting with your future CEO.

This is a chance to put yourself in the right environment for success.

Do not take it lightly. Are you excited yet?

Take the time to do it right

Don’t stress if it takes you 6 months (or even a year) to get the right job. No matter how long, this job search will be a very small percentage of your working life. If you get it right with this opportunity, you will quickly surpass people who are ahead of you now but not growing as fast.

Getting it right matters more than how long it takes.

Internalize these 3 truths before starting your search.

I will get a job that changes my life.

It doesn’t matter how long it takes — this is a short-term investment in a long career.

I will put the extra effort in to get a job that will get me on the right trajectory.

Repeat these phrases, and believe. Now on to the hard stuff.

Managing your psychology

Looking for a new job will be one of the most stressful periods of your life. The best remedy for that is to start your job search when you’re currently employed or studying, but that isn’t possible for everyone.

Transitions are hard. You will face periods of doubt, existential crisis, and failure. Your finances will be strained. You will get rejected — dozens of times. This is a good thing.

Rejection means you’re aiming high.

Finding a job that changes your life will not be easy, which is why you need to take care of yourself during the process. Don’t put your life on hold while you’re looking for a job. You are more important than any one application, interview, or job offer.

Practice good happiness habits throughout your job search.

-Exercise and eat right

-Do things you enjoy — sports, hanging out with friends, reading

-Learn new things — reading, watching, and listening

I care about you, but this is pragmatic advice.

Employers want to hire happy, healthy, and energetic people.

Being tired or lazy during your job search will show both in your applications and interviews, and make it much harder to get hired.

Make a promise to yourself that no matter how long it takes, you will take care of yourself during your job search.

Exercise #1 (10 minutes)

Grab a piece of blank paper (or open up a new note on your laptop) and answer these 2 questions. Don’t think too much, just write.

1. How will a new job impact my life?

2. What do I need to do every day to be happy and motivated during my job search?

That’s it for this week. Congratulations again on your next opportunity.

This is the first in a series of posts about the job search process, which I will be publishing every Tuesday for the next month. The next topics are:

-A step-by-step method to finding a job you’ll love

-Guaranteeing an interview: Reverse engineering the application process

Original post here.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is the CEO at VisualCV.com. He writes about building businesses and building careers.