You do not – and you SHOULD NOT – wait until you are absolutely ready, have a ton of free time, or absolute clarity about your next steps before you start your job search.⁠

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When (and how) SHOULD you start?⁠

And what should you do if you waited too long?

I’m so glad that you asked!

• When you have an itch and a curiosity to consider new things.⁠

Too many people wait until they are sick of their job to really start thinking about their next steps. 

The best time to begin is when you start feeling a little bit restless.

Begin by documenting what’s working well and where you feel a little constrained. What have you learned in this role that may be shaping your goals and interests for the future?

When you notice this feeling, it’s a great time to start journaling or documenting things about your work, noticing what gets you feeling excited, or commit to learning new skills.

Many people cut off their sense of curiosity because they “aren’t ready” for a new job. They push that exploration down the line.

But honestly, the job search process can take longer than people think so following your curiosity can be incredibly instructive and save you a lot of time and energy down the line.

• When you begin feeling bored.⁠

  Disengagement can be one of the worst experiences for ambitious professionals who are eager to learn and want to contribute!

  If you start to feel like you are simply going through the motions, it’s a great time to pause and consider what that’s about.

  Have your interests evolved? Is the relationship with your boss less than inspiring? Are there problems on your team that are distracting? Have you grown beyond the position?

  If you can identify roles or projects that are beyond your current scope, but spark some enthusiasm, start paying attention to that!

  There may be an opportunity for you to expand your skills, either in the office or on your own time, so that you can move toward a new area of interest.

• When you notice a shift in your values, priorities, and interests.⁠

  Many times, the reason we’re ready to move on is that we’ve changed.

  Our priorities and goals, along with our patients for the challenges we’ve been tolerating, fades. 

  One thing that I’ve noticed in my clients this year is that people are looking to work with companies that have demonstrated a commitment to their employees during this pandemic and have responded to Black Lives Matter.

  People are getting more selective about which companies they are willing to work for because, if this year has done anything for most of us, it’s helped our priorities become quite clear.

  You can start to articulate what feels important to you so that it can become a sort of touchstone as you consider roles and potential employers.

• What to do if you’ve waited too long….

  If you’re reading this and you’re like, “Oh great, this was me a year ago. I’m late!” please know – this is actually pretty normal. 

  This post isn’t designed to make you feel bad. It’s here to help remind people that you can job search passively before things get difficult.

  But most people do wait to get to that point so here is some advice for you, too.

  If you’re feeling burned out by work with no energy for your search, begin by setting some boundaries. Shut down by 5 or 6 pm one or two nights a week. Prioritize rest and consistency. 

  Don’t be afraid to start small. Your job search won’t happen in a day or a week or even a month so break bigger goals down into something more manageable.

  Finally, you might consider joining us, instead of trying to slog through the job search all on your own.

  Through our community for job seekers, we offer Office Hours for Q + A, a step by step process you can follow so you don’t have to think twice about what to do next, plus virtual co-working to help things get done.