5 steps to gain clarity when job hunting and getting hired
“I’m sorry, I can’t continue the interview process,” I explained over the phone.
After spending 11 years in the same company, I was ready to start job hunting. However, I quickly realized that interviewing with just three companies added up to 12 hours of interviews—plus my prep time on company research. And the mental energy spent overanalyzing if my answer to “tell me about your weaknesses” was honest but not damaging.
While keeping my commitment to my current job, I now had a new full-time job looking for a job. Realistically, I knew there was no way I could fit those interviews into my schedule. So I decided to withdraw most of my applications and continue interviewing with just one company. Next, I worked through a series of steps that made for a solid framework to help me gain in the first place and how to choose between multiple job offers.
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Career pivots often cause anxiety and nerves, deterring individuals from even trying. Yet, according to the 2022 Women In The Workplace report, women are leaving organizations in record numbers to gain more flexibility, to be rewarded more equitably for their efforts, to find a better culture, and to earn advancement opportunities. But there’s one concern I hear, as a career coach, over and over: How do I know if I’ve found the right company?
I coach my clients to use their head, heart, and gut during their decision-making process using the same 5-step process I used when deciding to cut my own interviewing process short.
Look back at career moments where you felt the most productive and engaged in your work:
Grab a piece of paper and jot down facts about the role you are applying for:
I recommend treating this as a meditative exercise. Sit down, close your eyes, and think about these questions:
This is the intuitive feeling that comes up when you think about the job, the company, or the team you’ll be working with:
Use this exercise to identify conflicting feelings or to confirm your decision:
If your choice raises feelings of dread or heaviness in your body, slow down and check in to make sure you’re making the right choice and the allure of a certain title or salary offer isn’t overcoming you. Ideally, we choose a company or role that makes us feel peaceful and in a state of flow. Of course, new work or promotion may bring nervousness or doubt, but we can balance that by acknowledging our excitement—making it ok to be scared-cited.
