7+1 questions to ask yourself before looking for a job

 Those lines won’t make your life easier but will help you to reflect on what you really want and what really inspires you or make you feel fully alive. As background information, please keep remembering that you spend between 40 to sometimes 60 hours a week working, it’s a lot of time! Wherever you fit in this range… As a comparison, you probably sleep 40 to 60 hours per week as well…

A career change is always important in life, always something you remember: the feeling of a new beginning, that everything is possible…again, like a reset, the excitement of a new environment and meeting new people, the nervousness and the fear of not being up to the job, of not being (good) enough and so many more emotions arising.

Changing jobs can be quite straight forward and easy to some extent. You may have a topic of expertise or even several, you may even have work experience in those topics. Friends or family keep saying that you should work in that field because they know what’s good for you and “you’ll make good money”. You have a good CV and you know what the recruiters are looking for. You have a solid network. If you combine most of the above characteristics, you will most probably never have issues in finding a job in more than 3 months.

But it doesn’t automatically mean you will be fulfilled with your new job. I guess you saw that statement coming, right? 😉

That’s why I put this list of questions you should think about before applying for a specific company or position. Even before updating your CV or your page on LinkedIn and to declare yourself #OpenToWork.

Ready? Let’s go!

What are you really good at?

With this question, you’re looking at your talent(s). Are you good with selling products to end customers? Are you the expert in coding? Are you good in asking open questions and actively listening the answers? Are you good in organizing event? The list is as long as the number of people on the planet as everyone has a talent, hidden or not.

On a personal note, I do have quite an interesting example: I believe I’m good and I like playing with numbers. On the opposite, I have very limited knowledge about logistics. However, on my CV, I do have a Master’s degree in Supply Chain (other word for Logistics) graduated in 2005. On the opposite side, there is not much about numbers on my resume given my HR and Coaching professional experience.

This question will help you to be true to yourself. You may not have degrees nor professional experience per say but you may be really good in something, a natural talent you really enjoy using. Something you should then keep in mind when you look for a job.

Which environment makes you shine?

Raising this question always makes me think of a good friend of mine who cannot be happier when he randomly meets new people. I remember one day being with him on a ski lift and he would engage the conversation with 2 strangers sited next to us. I am the type of person who would concentrate on my friend, ask him questions, tell him stories, laugh with him and not really care about what’s going on outside. He would of course enjoy the time with me as well but every time an opportunity to meet new people arise, he would cease it because he loves it and he can show his best nature - curious, funny and outgoing.

What type of environment suits you the best? In which situation do you feel energized, motivated, challenged and secure?

What type of person do I want to become?

I added this question after finishing writing this article because I came across this great book from James Clear - Atomic Habits. It says something fascinating when it comes to creating new habits. “To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself. You need to build identity-based habits”. The book also explains why focusing on the end result, the goal, won’t necessarily help you changing habits on the long run. Identity-based habits will give you the compass you need to start specific actions. The question above will help you define and make evolve your identity the way you want to. Then, it is your responsibility to prove to yourself that you become “this” person by taking specific and concrete actions.

In case you do want to be more career specific, ask yourself: What type of professional do I want to become?

When you are alive, who are you? What are you doing? Who are you with?

I know, 3 questions in 1, this seems a lot. But they are linked together. These should help you picture past situations where you experienced a peak experience of happiness, and even in some cases, experienced being “in the flow”, or “in the zone”.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the positive psychologist credited with having popularized the concept of Flow, offers a definition for this particular mental state:

“...being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

Picturing those situations is essential to be able to reproduce those feelings.

As an example, I sometimes find that state when I’m running or swimming and I use this incredible energy later at work or in my private life. Being ‘in Flow’ can help us mitigate the impacts of those constant distractions on our creativity.

What do you want?

Yep, everything starts here. Before asking yourself what job do you want, ask yourself what do you want. Too broad? Too philosophical? Then try to add one field, like personal growth, health, business/career,…

No really, what do you want in your own life?

Here is the +1. This question is always more powerful when you ask it yourself several times. Because, we rarely ask ourselves such a question and because we need to deeply think before bringing pieces of answers together. Introspection, connecting with values, envisioning life purposes, that’s what it is about.

I’ll add a little bonus as the question below is one I sometimes ask clients at the beginning of a coaching programme to make them talk about their values without them knowing it.

What are you obsessed with?

You may repeat yourself with answering this question and compare it to some of the previous ones. Or not… This is another good question linking with your profound values. An interesting thing to do once you’ve got your answer is to realize how much (or how little) you are connected with those thoughts, meaning how much do you honor those “obsessions”.

I’ll give you an example: I’m obsessed with putting some of my thoughts in writing (like this Blog for example). Writing is for me a great communication tool and it suits my way of thinking and reflecting very well. Others like to speak, to sing, to dance, I like writing. And I spent most of my life “avoiding” that obsession by not really recognizing the fact that this was part of me and that it would offer me an opportunity to express myself better. Since I a more aware, did it change something? Yes absolutely ? I am more in peace with myself and confident with who I am.

Interested about this article? Feel free to contact me.