Dear Reluctant Job Seeker:

I know you’re avoiding looking for a new job because, while your existing job isn’t ideal, it isn’t horrible either.  You like your team.  You make a decent salary.  It’s close to home.  The benefits are good and you’ve got some flexibility with your schedule.

But you’ve been passed over for a couple of promotions.  Your work is way too predictable – even though you have more than enough to keep you busy.  It’s just not challenging and you long to make a greater contribution.  And your new boss?    I won’t tell anyone he’s in his over head.  We’ll just keep that between the two of us.

I hate seeing you like this – your confidence withering away and you getting more and more convinced, with each passing day, that your career options are limited.  I’m worried the only way you’re going to look for a new job is if you get laid off.  The organization goes bankrupt.  You get fired.  Or there’s some sort of natural disaster.  And all of those things suck.

So can I offer another option?

You, the reluctant job seeker, have made looking for a new job an overwhelming process.  You get exhausted just thinking about it (and I get exhausted for you.)   You picture yourself coming home from work after a long day, spending long hours scouring online job postings and then filling out online application after online application.

If you even find a job that you like.  Chances are you eliminate most jobs because you don’t meet every single job requirement.  You tell me that the job won’t pay as much as you’re making now, and you just can’t take a pay cut.  “I’ll look next week,” you say.

So please, before you wither away and convince yourself that there’s nothing out there fits you, just start thinking about what you have to offer. Magical things happen when you get clear about you.

Next week turns into six weeks which turns into a year.  Meanwhile, your situation doesn’t improve and I see you becoming more and more convinced that you’re running out of the options that you haven’t even explored.  I’ve been patient, but I have to say, it doesn’t have to be this way.

As crazy as this may sound, my reluctant friend, the trick is to get clear about what you have to offer.  It’s not where you think to start when your confidence is shaky.  Stick with me because I really want this to be easy for you.

Start with what you do really well.  Maybe the things that come easily to you.  Or what you do better than most of your colleagues.  Do this exercise mentally at first, if writing it down seems too much.  Recall as many interesting projects and work experiences you’ve had in the past 5-7 years.  No matter how mundane or routine your work, you can come up with a few.  Don’t focus on the day-to-day responsibilities of your work, but focus on what you love to do and what you do really well.

And then, when your mind gets too full of all of these interesting details, write them down.  Don’t worry about whether you fit a certain job description or if you’ve got marketable skills.  Just make sure you scratch below the surface.

Did you have a great client interaction?

Why was it great?

How do you think that interaction showcases one of your talents or a strength?

Before you know it, interesting resume (and cover letter and interviewing) material will magically appear.

Now, how easy is that?

Sure, you’ll have to work with this material to get it resume-ready, but you’ve got a jumpstart on the raw content.

So please, before you wither away and convince yourself that there’s nothing out there fits you, just start thinking about what you have to offer. Magical things happen when you get clear about you.

Like my client, Sparkles (that’s a joke, of course her name isn’t Sparkles), who after doing this process got a call, out of the blue, from a recruiter who was looking for someone with her exact experience.  Technically, she wasn’t even looking for a job at the time.

Magic.

Please.  I hate seeing you like this.

I’m Stacey Lane: Confidence Builder. Networking Smarts. Resume Wordsmith. Personal Branding Strategist. Career Coach.

I help individuals with unique backgrounds find their perfect fit and effectively market themselves so they find work that is as interesting as they are.

Contact me to get started!

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