If you’re looking for a new job, you’re setting your sights on the future, and a more fulfilling one at that. Even if you’re thinking about leaving your job, you are loosening your ties on your current situation and dipping a toe into what lies ahead.
So, stop dwelling on the past.
If you’re focused on what is not working in your current job, you are stuck in the past.
If you are worried about answering the question, why are you leaving your job, you are stuck in the past.
If you are writing cover letters that go on and on about what you’ve done during your career (and repeat lots of the same points you made in your resume), you are talking about the past.
And, if you are sneering during interviews, or grimacing or otherwise harshly scrutinizing interviewers, you are holding onto the past.
Let go of the past.
Here are three pieces of wisdom to help you get unstuck and get the positive attention of hiring managers and interviewers:
Know what you’re hungry for (not what you’re tired of). You’re looking for a new job because you want more – more challenges, more responsibility, more knowledge, more accountability, more professionalism. Make sure you know what you want more of. Make it clear that you’re eager and hungry. Show the employer you have done your homework. Name specific qualities or initiatives that the organization is working on and talk about how these match your values and interests and experience.
Talk about what you can do (not what you’ve done). The people who get hired demonstrate that they’ve thought about how to succeed in the position. It sure makes sense to think honestly about how you will employ your skills, experience and knowledge to do the job and do it well. Be ready to talk about what you offer and about how your skills can have a direct impact on specific goals in the job description.
State your no’s and leave the past behind (but not in the interview!). If you’ve ever had a bad job, you know that it can wreak havoc on your attitude not to mention your health and happiness. It takes time and effort to heal. For many of us, it can feel like a leap of faith to believe that a good work situation (or boss or organizational culture) exists … anywhere. In fact, there ARE good places to work and good bosses. To work your way into a positive mindset, try physicalizing what you are DONE WITH. Write down your no’s. Write down what doesn’t work for you. Read the list out loud. Tear it up if you want. Or put it in a box and label it “ghost of jobs past”.
Then, write a list called “what works for me at work.” Write down everything that you want in a workplace and in a job. As you look at real job possibilities, review the list and see where there is agreement. Yes, the new job supports teamwork. Yes, the new job will use skills that you love to use. Yes, the new job will have you working in support of a mission that you’re passionate about.