When the Job Search Becomes a Deeper Reset
This isn’t just about a new job. It’s about getting honest with yourself.
Most people treat the job search like a sprint: update the resume, apply to everything, get it over with.
But if you’ve been in this for a while (especially in this market!) you’ve probably figured out it’s not that simple.
Sometimes, the job search stops being about the job.
It starts becoming a reset. Maybe even a reckoning.
There’s a good chance that this season is feeling messy, disorienting, and clarifying.
To me, that is a clear invitation to go a little deeper to get honest about what you need, what you’re no longer willing to tolerate, and how much energy you’ve been spending trying to make the wrong thing work.
This is almost never easy or simple. But it’s always powerful.
Why this moment feels so intense
Over the years, I’ve noticed that the clients who struggle the most often express resentment and burnout as well as a sense of failure for prioritizing the work for their job over their own career and well-being.
And despite recognizing that, there’s a tendency to jump into the job search with the same habits and expectations.
In this market, you want to think sustainably. And sprinting right out of the gate is usually not a winning approach.
A little reflection goes a long way. Start there.
What a real career reset looks like
You stop pretending you’re fine
If you’ve ever been to my workshop How to Job Search at the End of the World, you know that “Self-Reflection and Preparation is the first step of our job search framework.
This is the behind-the-scenes of your search process.
Here, we can (and should!) admit that things haven’t been working. We tell the truth here, often for the first time, about how drained or disconnected you’ve felt.
You start asking different questions
Instead of “What job should I apply for next?” you ask:
What actually matters right now?
What are my priorities?
Where have I been overextending myself?
What kind of work environment do I not want to go back to?
You drop the pressure to figure it all out ASAP
You give yourself permission to pause.
To rest. To move slower.
You remember that urgency and clarity don’t always arrive at the same time.
Often, clients take bridge jobs so that they have increased capacity for reflection and exploration without panicking about income and resources.
None of these mean you’re doing it wrong.
They mean you’re being thorough.
This isn’t just a pause. It’s a recalibration.
The real work of a transition is not just updating your LinkedIn.
It’s learning how to trust yourself again.
It’s about cultivating your own discernment.
And yes, eventually, that might mean landing a new role.
But if the only goal is speed, you’re going to miss the wisdom that’s waiting in this moment.
You don’t have to do this alone
At Work Wonders, we help people navigate career transitions without ignoring the emotional, relational, and identity-level stuff that comes up.
Yes, we care about resumes and interview prep.
But we also care about how you feel in the process.
We care about how you make decisions. And we care about what’s going to be sustainable on the other side.
That’s why we have our email newsletter, our Work Wonders Community, as well as our podcast, Careers at the End of the World.
If you’re sensing that your job search is part of a deeper transition, let’s keep in touch!