How To Handle All The Job Search Advice

‘The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”
Prov. 14:15

People love to give advice. It’s so easy, and self-affirming, to be able to tell someone else how to deal with their problem, resolve a nagging question, take steps to move forward. This is often given whether asked for or not, with little concern for the emotional side of the issue for the person impacted, and whether the giver has any real-world experience or knowledge or not. And experience does not necessarily translate into wisdom and/or practical insight.

If you have been on a job search for very long, you have probably already gotten a bucketful of advice.  And some of it may even be useful.

But you need to have a strategy for handling advice:

• Opinion: Remember, everyone has an opinion about just about everything, but it is only an opinion
• Value: Listen to the advice to determine if there is value for you, or if it fits some other paradigm
• Motivation: Don’t question the giver’s motivation. Accept that it is meant for your good
• God: Listen to the advice with the perspective that God may be speaking to you through their words.
• Discard: After considering each of the above, determine how to incorporate advice of value and discard the rest.

How to respond to their advice…

You can’t please everyone, or accept and implement everyone’s advice. Sometimes they are opposites. What you can do is listen, weigh, and use what you can. Saying something like, “I value your perspective and ideas and will certainly consider those in my job search” should satisfy every advice giver.

Are you listening, or are you tired of hearing, “What you should do is….”  Remember, God may have a gold nugget buried in all that detritus. Most of the time people mean well, it’s just that they come across poorly frequently. Accept that they are well-meaning and then consider their offering.

Dearest Guide through the unknown, forgive me for not listening to well-intentioned advice givers.  Help me to hear your words spoken through them.

If you would like to explore working with a Christian centered Career Coach, Contact me for a no-obligation consultation and we can discuss your situation, what you would like to achieve, and structure your job search to fit your uniqueness. I am also available to speak to groups.