Finding the Right Job Starts with Finding Yourself

By Steve Shaner

Every once in a while, a conversation with a former student reminds me why I enjoyed being a professor so much. Recently, I had one of those conversations with Nicole, a former student of mine from China. We began talking about her search for the next chapter in her professional life, but our conversation quickly moved beyond resumes, job descriptions and interviews. Nicole was wrestling with a much bigger question: What do I really want to do with my life? Her answer reminded me that a career change isn’t always about finding the right job. Sometimes, it begins with finding the right understanding of yourself.

Nicole told me that the death of her father when she was 26 forced her to stop and take a serious look at her life. She began paying attention to her emotions, her relationships, the things she enjoyed and, perhaps most importantly, the things that gave her a sense of purpose. She eventually discovered a love for reading, psychology and learning. That self-awareness became an important part of her journey toward independence.

Her story caused me to think about what I have learned during my own career—and what I have tried to teach students and clients over the years. If you are considering a career change, looking for a new job or simply wondering what you should do with the next chapter of your life, here are a few lessons worth considering.

1. Don’t Start with the Job. Start With Yourself.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when looking for a new job is immediately asking,
“What job can I get?”

A better question may be, “What do I want my life to look like?”

Those are two very different questions. A job occupies a significant portion of your life. Before deciding what job, you want, think about how you want to spend your days. What kind of work gives you energy? What kind of people do you enjoy working with? What problems do you enjoy solving? What are you naturally curious about? The goal isn’t simply to find employment. The goal is to find work that fits the person you are becoming.

2. Pay Attention to What Energizes You.

Nicole described something I found particularly interesting: she began consciously paying attention to how she felt while doing ordinary things.

She asked, “Are you happy when you’re doing this? Do you enjoy talking to these people? Are you curious about this?”

Those questions may sound simple, but they can be incredibly revealing.

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to meet other people’s expectations that we never stop to ask ourselves what we actually enjoy. Pay attention to those moments when you lose track of time because you’re genuinely interested in what you’re doing. There may be a clue to your next career hiding there.

3. Don’t Panic When You Don’t Have the Answer.

A career transition can feel like an emergency. Your first instinct may be to grab the first opportunity that comes along because you are afraid of not having a job.

But panic is rarely a good career counselor. Nicole told me that she has learned to look at problems differently. Instead of staring at the problem directly in front of her, she tries to “zoom out” and look for the possibilities surrounding it.

I love that idea.

When you’re unemployed or considering a major career change, the problem may look like, “I don’t have a job.” Zoom out.

The bigger question becomes, “What possibilities does this moment create?” That change in perspective can make all the difference.

4. Learn to Solve Problems Instead of Fearing Them.

Nicole gave me a wonderful example: a clogged toilet. She had never dealt with the problem before. She didn’t have a plunger, and she didn’t know anyone nearby who could help her. Her first reaction was panic.

Then she did what many of us have done countless times: she went to YouTube and figured it out. The toilet wasn’t just a problem anymore. It became a learning experience.

She gained a new skill.

That is an important lesson for anyone going through a career transition. Every problem you solve makes you a little more capable of solving the next one. Don’t waste a difficult season simply wishing it were over. Ask yourself, “What can this experience teach me?”

5. Give Yourself Permission to Grow.

Nicole told me something else that stuck with me: she wants to leave this world knowing that she was seeking growth every day.

I think that is a pretty good career philosophy. You don’t have to have your five-year plan completely figured out. You don’t have to know exactly where you will be two years from now.

You simply need to keep learning. Learn a new skill. Read something you wouldn’t normally read. Talk to someone who knows something you don’t. Try something you’ve never done before.

Growth doesn’t always come from a promotion. Sometimes it comes from learning how to solve a problem you have never encountered before.

6. Don’t Put All Your Hopes in One Opportunity.

Nicole is also thinking about building multiple sources of income rather than depending entirely on one job.

There is a lesson here that applies beyond finances. Don’t put your entire identity into one job title. Your career can be bigger than your current position. Your skills, relationships, interests, creativity and experience can all become part of your professional future.

A job may be one part of your life. It doesn’t have to define your entire life.

7. Be Like Water.

Perhaps my favorite part of our conversation came at the end when Nicole talked about wanting to be like water. Water flows. It adapts. It doesn’t always take a straight path, but it keeps moving.

That may be one of the best ways to approach a career transition. You don’t always have to know exactly where you are going. Sometimes you simply need to remain open, keep learning, watch for opportunities and be willing to change direction when circumstances change.

The Bottom Line

A job search is often presented as a marketing exercise: develop your resume, build your LinkedIn profile, network, apply for jobs and prepare for interviews.

Those things matter. But before you market yourself to an employer, you need to understand what you’re marketing.

Know yourself. Know what interests you. Know what gives you energy. Know what you value. Know what you’re capable of learning.

And then start looking for the place where those things intersect with an opportunity. Sometimes the best career move isn’t finding a better job. Sometimes it’s discovering a better version of yourself—and then finding work that fits that person.