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Several years ago, I was so unhappy in a job that I started “rage applying.” I sat at my desk, making sure my boss wasn’t nearby, applying to job after job after job. I would go home and apply in the evenings and weekends as well. I was frustrated and angry. I felt so stuck in my career that I was spraying my resume everywhere and praying, applying reactively to any opening I could find online. Because how else could I get unstuck and out of this miserable job if I wasn’t actively looking?
Rage applying led me to apply for roles I wasn’t interested in or didn’t have the specific skills to do. I made mistakes on job applications and cover letters (one recruiter was kind enough to point out that I had inserted the wrong company name, in fact, of a competitor). I wasn’t prepared for calls with recruiters because I was exhausted from applying to all of those jobs. Rage applying didn’t help me get unstuck in my career. In fact, it sent me into a deeper spiral. I felt like I was trapped in quicksand with no way to escape and save my career.
It’s time to put an end to rage applying. Walk away from that keyboard and stop yourself from applying to another job in a mad dash, panicked and frenzied state. If you are unhappy in your current job, start by focusing on these three strategies.
Related: I Went Viral for Quitting My Job Because It Was Impacting My Mental Health. Here Are the 4 Things I Did to Prepare for Full-Time Entrepreneurship.
1. Assess your current career situation
Take the time to assess your current situation before immediately firing off another resume. What is the reason you are looking to leave your current job? Are there multiple things at play? Consider the following questions:
- Are you trying to leave a negative or toxic work environment?
- Is your boss not supportive? Are they disengaged? A micromanager? A bully?
- Are you doing twice as much work, covering for team members who have resigned?
- Are you left out of key meetings and conversations, and wonder if your boss and colleagues value you anymore?
- Are you not being paid fairly and equitably?
- Have you repeatedly been passed over for promotions versus your peers?
- Are you no longer growing and learning in your role?
Reviewing the answers to these questions will be important as you think about what’s next. Think about what you once enjoyed about your current job and what you are looking for in your next role. Consider the type of work you want to do, the skills you bring and what your non-negotiables are for your next role.
2. Be thoughtful and proactive about your next steps
Taking some time to assess your current situation can help you be thoughtful and proactive about your next steps, versus just applying for every job you see available and open. Here’s a starting roadmap to guide you:
- Make a list of industries you would be interested in working in, and identify which industries are adjacent to where you currently work. Include target companies you would be interested in working at or learning more about.
- Identify the types of roles you would apply for. Start with three types of roles you would consider (you may need to broaden that over time depending on the length of your search). Research titles, roles and responsibilities and salary ranges.
- Outline the current skills you have and what would be transferable, particularly if you are open to transitioning into another function, for example, moving from marketing to sales. If you have a gap in a particular skill set or want to learn a new skill, consider investing the time in this. LinkedIn Learning, Coursera and Udemy are all good places to start.
- Finally, ask for help. Tell your friends and family what you are specifically looking to do next. You can ask for their support and input on the assessment and/or considering your next steps. Those closest to you might have good insights about your candidacy and your career. Be careful about sharing plans with current colleagues, especially if you are concerned about your boss finding out you are looking to leave.
Related: Tired of Applying to Jobs with No Response? Try This Tactic, According to An Expert Who Helps Thousands of People Get Jobs
3. Use smart tools to help your scale your search
Particularly in this job market, we need all the help we can get to scale our search. There are only so many hours in the day we can devote to looking for another job, particularly if we are trying to keep our current job. Take the time to invest in smart tools to land your next opportunity:
- Notion is a great tool to help organize your career audit, career goals and what you want to do next. You can also keep notes of individuals you have connected with in your network, what advice they offered and any follow-ups. It’s a great place to store your roadmap in one place.
- Teal is a great tool to help you build your resume. You can apply for the right jobs faster by tailoring your resume. Teal will help you with your resume structure, the format, the content and more. You can also easily track all of your job applications. This frees up your time to focus on preparing for interviews and continue to build your network.
- Finally, tools like Massive help you auto-apply for roles. It’s your own personal AI recruiter and can help you apply to over 200 jobs a month with its job matching capabilities. The tool hand vets companies and fills out the job application on your behalf.
Smart tools can help you save time and focus on the things that matter the most in the job search: showing up in those moments that matter to share your experience and expertise. And letting recruiters, hiring managers and interview panels know what a strong asset you would be to their organization.
So step away from the keyboard and stop rage applying. Instead, craft and invest in a thoughtful approach to help you get unstuck in your career. And don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way.
