15 Questions to Help You Put More YOU in Your Job Search

A lot of us come to the job search and we’re used to following rules.

Resume rules, cover letter rules, interview responses.

We’re used to optimizing for things to be right.

And it’s often through that lens of doing the right thing that we end up in jobs and organizations where we’re unhappy.

We’ve performed for our potential employers instead of getting curious about them.

In other words, too many rules and not enough of you.

We can’t have an aligned job search without you - and what matters to you.

You need to get clear on your goals, needs, priorities.

Here are some reflection prompts that can help you prepare, reflect, and build clarity on your job search process and goals:

  • What do you want more of?

  • What do you want less of?

  • What are you most proud of?

These are my standard job search reflection questions. Do not move ahead without starting here

  • What do you want to learn?

  • What would be amazing to have?

  • What are your minimum requirements for a job change at this time?

  • How much urgency do you have in your search? 

  • What is your ideal timeline?

  • What kind of relationship do you want with your boss? Your team?

  • What companies or industries don’t align at this time?


These questions can help you build additional clarity and evaluate opportunities such as job postings, during/after initial phone screens, and interviews.

  • How much time do you have each week to commit to your job search?

  • How do you work best? In short bursts or for longer (i.e. weekends)

  • What questions, fears, and concerns do you have?

  • What kind of people/conversations would be helpful?

  • Who can support you?

These questions can help you assess how to set up your job search, identify the next steps, leverage potential resources, and break down generic advice (like “networking) in a way that will be aligned with your goals.

Almost everyone who works with us considers these kinds of questions.

But as you can imagine, the responses vary greatly.

Don’t worry about how other people may approach their search. Make sure your efforts are grounded in your goals and needs.

A little time spent here will make it a lot easier to manage your time, come up with a plan, identify and pursue aligned opportunities, leverage your network, and ask key questions during the process!

If you’re ready to actually transform this content into job search assets that will get you results, make sure you read this post, How to Put More YOU in Your Job Search, next.

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