Sometimes Your Job Search Needs More Thinking and Less Doing  

When someone loses a job, one of the first things we often hear is, “I just need to get back to work.” But when weeks go by without progress, a stalled job search can quickly become discouraging.

That is understandable. A job provides much more than a paycheck. It provides purpose, structure, relationships, confidence and a sense of contribution.

But when we work with people going through a career transition, we encourage them to do something that may feel counterintuitive:

Slow down and think.

Keith Cunningham, in his book The Road Less Stupid, emphasizes the importance of setting aside time to think. I believe that principle applies directly to job search.

When a search isn’t producing the results you hoped for, the answer isn’t always to send out more résumés or apply for more jobs. Sometimes you need to step back and ask better questions.

Eight questions to ask about a stalled job search:

1. Am I looking for one big solution to my job search?

We all want the phone to ring with the perfect opportunity. But there may not be a “Holy Grail” solution.

Instead, ask: What are five things I could do right now that would improve my situation?

Perhaps I could reconnect with five people in my network. Research companies I haven’t considered. Improve my résumé. Work on my LinkedIn profile. Ask someone for an introduction.

Small steps, consistently taken, can produce significant results.

2. Am I putting forth the level of effort I know I am capable of?

Be honest with yourself.

A job search can easily become spending several hours looking at job postings and feeling like you worked all day. But looking is not necessarily moving forward.

Treat your job search like a job.

3. Where am I working hard but not getting better?

Maybe you are getting interviews but no offers. Maybe you’re submitting résumés but receiving very few responses.

Don’t simply repeat the same process.

Ask someone you trust for honest feedback. A coach, mentor, recruiter or former colleague may see something you don’t see.

Sometimes you don’t need more effort. You need more insight.

4. Have I allowed the desire for an immediate result to replace consistent hard work?

There is still no substitute for picking up a shovel and breaking a sweat.

Networking takes time. Building relationships takes time. Finding the right opportunity takes time.

5. What career goals have I abandoned?

Think about three things you once wanted to accomplish.

Did you abandon them because they were unrealistic, or because your execution became inconsistent?

Maybe one deserves to be brought back to life, with a more realistic plan, resources and timeline.

6. What bad habits have I developed during my job search?

Isolation? Procrastination? Negativity? Poor preparation? Applying only for jobs that are comfortable rather than opportunities that stretch you?

Identify them. Then change them.

7. What decisions or difficult conversations am I avoiding?

Progress sometimes requires a decision: broadening your search, considering a different industry, asking for help, accepting temporary work, or having a conversation you have been putting off.

8. What behavior must I change to create the outcome I want?

This may be the most important question.

We cannot continue doing the same things and expect different results.

At CDP, we believe “people are worth the investment”. That includes helping people not only find their next job, but think differently about their careers and what comes next.

So, if you’re in a stalled job search, don’t automatically assume you need to do more.

Maybe you need to stop, think, ask better questions, make some adjustments, and then get back to work.

Sometimes the road less stupid begins with simply taking the time to think.