8 Tips on Navigating the Job Search Journey

Author’s Note: I wrote the original version of this article back in January 2020, 7 months into navigating my career change from education to marketing. 4 ? years later, I’m navigating another career change of sorts. I’m still in marketing, but moving from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, and the job market is tough as ever. I wanted to share what's continued to help me along my career journey in hopes that it will help others!

I’ve edited and added to my original article, so this has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint” is a great way to describe being on the job hunt – especially in today’s job market.

Saying that job searching is an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. At times, you’ll think a lead is for-sure a shoo-in— and then it ends up going nowhere. Other times, you’ll think there’s no way you’ll get an initial response and you end up making it to the fourth interview.

Ah, the emotions. All the hours of searching for jobs online, filling out extensive applications, tailoring your resume and cover letter to each position. And then, if you do get selected for an interview: all the time spent researching and rehearsing interview questions and answers, shopping for an outfit, ironing your clothes, making copies of your resume/references/letters of recommendation, going to bed early, waking up early, arriving early, all the nerves, all the what-ifs and scenarios played out in your head, all the hopes that this might be the one, imagining getting hired, and then going through it and then it’s done and that may be as far as it goes.

It’s easy to feel discouraged, let down, and depressed.

It’s so easy to follow your fear of “what if I never get hired again?” or “what if I have to take a job I really don’t want?” and an endless pit of “what ifs?".

Also easy: getting attached to your ego. Getting caught in the mindset that being rejected equals “I’m not worthy/good enough/something’s wrong with me/they don’t want me/no one wants me/I wish I was still at my last job/what am I doing?” and so on and so forth.

Two things that are vitally important to remember in the job search process:

• Every single part of the journey is giving you practice, experience, and direction you didn’t have before.

• Every rejection is a step closer to the right job for you.

Every rejection is a redirection – similar to the Dalai Lama’s saying, “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” If it doesn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be at this time (and maybe ever), and that’s perfectly okay (once you get over the initial feeling of being rejected).

Here are some things that can help along the job search journey, and that have helped me.

1. Say Yes to Opportunities

To what, you ask? To online courses, in-person trainings, phone calls, coffee chats, job fairs, conferences, and volunteer experiences.

Online courses and volunteer experiences can show future readers of your resume that you did not sit around idly during the time you were in between jobs, and were being proactive with your time and goals.

Coursera, Hubspot, Udacity, and LinkedIn Learning are great places to start with online learning. Some cost money, but they also offer thousands of free – yes, free – online videos, courses, and learning paths. It can feel great to brush up on your skills, and exciting to know you’re learning new ones.

In-person trainings, conferences, and job fairs are great places to make connections and contacts. You never know where one conversation with one person could lead!

Volunteering is another wonderful way to make connections, utilize and develop your skills, and give back to the community. With the stress that a job search can bring, volunteering your skills to help a good cause can nurture feelings of fulfillment and keep things in perspective, while also helping you build your portfolio of work and experience.

When I was making my career change from education to tech marketing, I did some volunteer work for a nonprofit, helping them with their social media channels and content. This volunteer work eventually turned into paid contract work down the line.

Open up and say yes to something new today! You might be surprised at where it leads.

2. Say No to Jobs You Don’t Want

It can be easy to fall into desperation mode and follow the path to a job you don’t actually want, just for the sake of feeling accepted and moving out of the no-job zone.

Are you looking for a change, but considering taking an interview for a job similar to the one you just had, or one you don’t really want? Do you find yourself thinking, “Maybe it would be different, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…”?

Try to be honest with yourself. Tune into your heart and your intuition. You are allowed to (graciously) decline an interview or tell them you are interested in a different position.?

This can be a way of the universe testing you– testing you on what you want, what you don’t want, and how much you believe in the process. By turning down this offer, it can open up other options and more clarity for you on what you are actually looking for. You’ll have more time to use working toward a job you really want, and won’t end up accepting a job that would have kept you stuck in the past instead of moving forward.

When I was making my first career change, throughout the process, I learned to say no to jobs I didn't want:

• I said no to a role that was the exact same role that made me want to seek a career change in the first place.

• Then I said no to a role that was different from my previous one, but not different enough.

• Then I said no to a role that would have given me the experience I wanted, but just had a bad gut feeling during the interview.

After each "no", I got a little more clarity about what I wanted. This helped me know when I wanted to say yes.

If it gets to the point that you must take a job you don’t want due to financial reasons, don’t give up. Continue the job search in your free time, take online courses, and keep networking. As hard as it can be, persistence does pay off. Don’t lose sight of your long-term goals and dreams.

3. Engage on LinkedIn

Are you utilizing LinkedIn as much as you can? LinkedIn is not just a job board and a way to apply for jobs – it is so much more. You can create and post your own content. You can network to your heart’s delight with people in your field, and learn something new from people that aren’t. You can comment on others’ posts, share interesting articles and your own ideas, and find people to meet up with in person.

You can also follow inspiring people! There are dozens of people that consistently post job search tips, advice, and inspiration. When you are on the job search journey/marathon, it is important to stay connected with others. As humans, we need and thrive on connection, especially in challenging times.

At first, it may feel awkward reaching out to mutual connections and people you don’t know. It can feel inauthentic and you may worry about what they will think of you. However, the more you put any insecurities aside and reach out to people, the more you might realize you have nothing to lose. Think of it this way: if you don’t reach out to someone, you don’t even have the possibility of making a connection. If you do reach out to someone, you could potentially gain an important contact, phone call, or even an interview! If they say no or if you don’t get a response, you’re in the same exact place as you would have been anyway. Try not to let those insecurities get in the way.

LinkedIn can be a wonderful and supportive place to connect with others, and the more you use it, the more you will get out of it. I’ve even gotten several paid opportunities that came directly from me commenting and posting on LinkedIn. You get out of it what you put into it – don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

4. Build Your Personal Brand

This is a bit of an offshoot from the previous point, but it’s taking it a step further. Engaging on LinkedIn is a great place to start. If you’re ready for the next level, consider your personal brand as a whole.

What is a personal brand? It can be defined in many ways, but I like this definition from Harvard Business Review: “Your personal brand is the combination of your skills, the values you present, and the impression you leave on others.”

What are some of your areas of expertise? In tech, this can be domain knowledge, like sales, product, or marketing, but it can also include other topics you’re passionate about and/or knowledgeable in, like community building or inclusive design. Take some time to consider these:

What do you know that other people might not know?

What knowledge or learnings can you share with others??

What values do you value most?

Start posting about these topics. Start a newsletter, blog, or podcast. Start following and engaging with other leaders in these spaces and see what unfolds.

Building your personal brand is a great thing to do even if you’re not currently on the job search. You’re demonstrating your expertise, building your network, and creating space for opportunities you might not be able to imagine in the future.

5. Consider a Career Coach

If you are feeling lost when it comes to your job search strategy, it might be a good idea to work with a career coach. Career coaches can help in a variety of areas, including helping identify your strengths, understanding your life and career goals, revamping your resume, building your personal brand, teaching you networking strategies, interview practice, and more.?

Just like in any profession, career coaches have their own areas of expertise. Some are tailored to a specific industry or level (entry-level, mid-level, senior, executive), while others specialize in certain aspects of career planning. Working together with a career coach as you navigate a challenging or confusing chapter in your career can be similar to working with a therapist – it’s helpful to not go through it alone, and to get help and clarity from someone who is an expert in the exact areas you need help with.

6. Freelance, Consult, and/or Start Your Own Business

Fun fact: this is what I’m doing right now! After hours upon days upon months spent reading job postings, applying to roles and getting endless no-responses or rejections, various interviews that didn’t progress past the 1st/2nd/3rd/final stage, and ghostings after interviews that went well, I figured it was time to take things into my own hands.?

My husband and I had randomly fantasized about starting our own business over the past couple of years. He was going through his own career change from healthcare to UX design, and I was content at my corporate marketing job, so we thought this was something we might do someday in the distant future. However, when I was unexpectedly laid off (last year, at 5 months pregnant), we had to get creative. Neither of us were having luck applying to jobs, so he started driving for Uber Eats and I would ride along with him, reading books we checked out from the library on product design and business and we’d discuss our ideas in between pings for orders and deliveries. During the non-busy times we’d go to the local coffee shop and work on our business and marketing strategy and website. Fast forward a year and we are still building our business, but we have some clients and things are moving forward and for the first time in a while we feel hopeful.

One of my favorite quotes is one that I saw painted on the side of a wall when I was living in Granada, Spain:?

“Y cansado de no encontrar respuestas, decidi cambiar mis preguntas.”

Translated, it means:

“And tired of not finding answers, I decided to change my questions.”

If you’re not having much luck in your job search, I highly recommend freelancing, consulting, and/or taking the steps to start your own small business. You are a skilled worker and have amazing value. Don’t let the rejections and ghostings get to you. (Or do, and take the time you need to process and feel all the feelings…) But then do some reflecting and change course if needed.

7. Practice Gratitude

It can be hard to feel grateful when rejection emails keep popping up in your inbox or you find yourself waiting weeks to hear back from a prospective employer.?

While you may not yet have your dream job, practice being grateful for what you do have, whether it’s a supportive loved one, a place to live, time, or the opportunity to pursue what you really want to be doing.

If you are unemployed, that's right – you have time! Time to dedicate to your job search process every day: researching jobs, tailoring cover letters and resumes, taking online courses, volunteering at a place you’d like to work, and beefing up your online portfolio, website, and/or blog. You have time to earn some part-time income on the side while you go after your dream job. Is there a way you could use your experience and skills from your previous career role to earn part-time income?

You could also think about being grateful for what you don’t have– a job you dislike, a long commute, a stressful work environment, or no time to cook healthy meals or exercise. It’s all about perspective. This won’t last forever, and when you do get a job, you might miss some of the things you have now.

8. Remind Yourself of the Why

If you were laid off, fired, or still at a job that's not your favorite, practice accepting where you are now. If you chose to leave, remind yourself why you did and congratulate yourself for doing what was right for you. You may not know where you’ll end up next or what the future holds, but it feels so good to honor the boundaries you are setting for yourself and prioritize your own health, happiness, and dreams.

Why are you looking for a new job?

If you left your last job, why did you leave?

What gifts do you have to share with the world?

What can you contribute?

What fulfills you, motivates you, inspires you?

What are your long-term career and life goals?

Take some time and reflect on these questions. As far as we know, we only have this life to live. We might as well make it worth it by sharing our unique selves, talents, skills, and perspectives in a career that aligns with our own values.

Most people are familiar with the travel quote, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. It’s certainly easy to get fixated on the outcome, but the job search journey is actually the real destination. Every connection you make, job you apply to, phone screening, video or in-person interview, rejection you get, emotion you feel— all of it is part of the larger picture of helping you get more clear on where you want to be and what you need to do to get there. And when you do get there? The journey continues. :)

Reflect on your experience, skills, and worthiness. Visualize what you want your next place of employment to look, feel, and sound like. Think about the work you want to be doing, and identify a few next steps that will help you get there. Do not lose hope and faith, and trust the process. The darkest point of night is before the dawn. You can do it – and you will.

Thanks for reading!

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