“To crank up your job search process, re-frame the search in ways that connect with what energizes you…what you value and find meaningful.” -Rum

Recently, it seems several friends and colleagues are in the job search process. Their individual paths to wanting a new job seems to vary widely, but regardless, they are all in the hunt. I’m also getting the sense that even though the economy and job market seem to be strong, finding the right gig appears to be elusive and taking longer than expected.

So what can you do to help land your next brilliant gig? How can you crank up your job search process?

To start, I would focus on your level of engagement in the job search process. Now, typically I talk about engagement within the context of a job you already have…figuring out how you can boost the level of emotional investment and commitment you have in your job and organization. But the target of your engagement can be on anything, and in today’s case, we are focusing on your level of engagement in your job search.

For many, the job search process can be a difficult experience. Having to sell yourself and your skills to a group of strangers can be very intimidating and anxiety-provoking, let alone ego-bruising. Why would anyone ever want to be in the position of doing this? That reaction is normal and completely human, but it can also lead to disengagement from the job search process, which results in a lower likelihood of success. A lack of meaning and purpose in your job search can make the process less successful.

If you want to crank up your job search process, reframe the search in ways that connect with what energizes you…what you value and find meaningful.

For example, if you don’t like putting yourself out there to be poked and prodded, but you value building new relationships, then consider reframing your job search process to focus more on building new relationships with the people and organizations you are interviewing with. Interviews now become opportunities to connect with potential new friends and colleagues, rather than just meetings to poke and prod. To some this tip may sound obvious, but as people lose engagement during the job search process, this is a critical step to recharging your engagement.

Take Action!

Based on this analysis, consider taking these actions:

1. Assess: Think about your current job search process. Give yourself a score in terms of how energized you are about your job search. Is that score high, low, or somewhere in the middle?
2. Reflect: Consider which of your values are core to who you are…the ones that are the most prominent facets of who you are. Which values do you want to prioritize and express more in your job search?
3. Convene: Meet with a friend or career coach to help sharpen your values and connect them to your job search process. Find ways to energize your job search by reframing it in terms of what you value the most and find most meaningful.

References

For more in-depth information around the science of job searches, particularly the impact of affect on job search success, check out the following:

da Motta Veiga, S. P., Sun, S., Turban, D. B., & Foo, M. (2021). How does affect relate to job search effort and success? It depends on pleasantness, activation, and core self‐evaluations. Human Resource Management, 60(6), 921–933. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22046

Turban, D. B., Lee, F. K., Da Motta Veiga, S. P., Haggard, D. L., & Wu, S. Y. (2013). Be Happy, don’t Wait: The Role of Trait Affect in Job Search. Personnel Psychology, 66(2), 483–514. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12027

About the Research:
This research supports the Restore® Initiative, LRI’s campaign to encourage you to take a critical and constructive look at your own engagement (your Engage® Battery), and to learn about restorative leadership behaviors that help to recharge your own and others’ engagement (your Restore® Battery). For more information, email credible-leader@lri.com or click on www.credible-leader.com.