Job searching can mess with your head. You send the application. You have the interview.
You leave feeling great. Then…nothing.
You follow up. Crickets.
You get rejected from a job you were excited about. And after enough disappointment, something sneaky happens: You stop expecting good things to happen.
You start judging every new opportunity through the lens of the last ten disappointments.
“This probably won’t work.” “They’ll find someone more qualified.” “I’ve heard that before.”
“I’m not getting my hopes up.” It feels like self-protection. But what if it keeps you from seeing what’s possible?
This week, I want to talk about a different approach to career transition:
Be. Act. Believe.
Now stay with me. This isn’t some “positive thinking” mumbo jumbo. It is not that positive thinking magically makes jobs appear. It IS, however, because your mindset affects what you notice, what you pursue, how you show up, and whether you recognize an opportunity when it arrives.
- Start with a Beginner’s Mind
A beginner doesn’t know how the story ends. They see everything with fresh eyes. They can’t tell the difference between “bad” or “good.” They just see something new.
That’s a powerful place to be. When you’ve been searching for months, or even years, it’s easy to become an expert at predicting disappointment. You see a job posting and immediately identify why you probably won’t get it. You meet someone who could potentially help and convince yourself they’re too busy. You hear about an opportunity and think, “That sounds too good to be true.”
But a beginner says: “I wonder what could happen?”
Try being ridiculously optimistic. Not naïve. Not delusional (though a little delusion helps, just look at the CEO’s and leaders in charge in some areas). For now, though, just be unwilling to judge a new possibility based on what happened last time. Your past experiences are data. They are not destiny.
- BE First
Here’s a concept I love: You cannot “do” happy. You have to BE happy. It’s a concept I picked up in a little book called “A Happy Pocket Full of Money.” I highly recommend. When we’re looking for a new job, we often make happiness conditional. “I’ll be happy when I get the offer.” “I’ll relax when I have a paycheck.” “I’ll feel confident when someone validates my experience.” But what if you reversed the order?
Be happy first.
Happiness influences your thinking. Your thinking influences your words. Your words influence your actions. Your actions influence how other people experience you. You probably see where I am going with this, right?
Suddenly, you’re more open to receiving opportunities instead of constantly scanning for evidence that things aren’t working. This doesn’t mean pretending rejection doesn’t hurt. Rejection sucks, no matter the reason. Like the classic song says, “I want you to want me.” Yes, I called it classic. Sorry to any Cheap Tricks fans.
It just means refusing to let rejection become your identity.
- Act As If
One of the most powerful things you can do during a career transition is to act as if you already have what you’re looking for. Even if you have no idea what that is. If you don’t know WHAT it is, instead ask yourself, what feelings do you want to have? How would you carry yourself if you knew your next opportunity was coming? How would you network? How would you answer questions? What would you wear? Who would you reach out to? What would you stop worrying about? Most importantly:
How would you feel?
Tap into that emotion. Feel the confidence. Feel the possibility. Feel the excitement.
Then take action from that place.
Because here’s something important to remember:
Action brings clarity.
You don’t need to have the entire path figured out before you move. Sometimes you discover the path because you move. Make the call. Have the conversation. Take the class. Send the message. Apply for the job that makes you think, “Why not me?” Action creates information. Information creates clarity. Clarity creates momentum.
- Be Certain. Believe.
This is the hardest one when you’ve been disappointed. Believe that it is possible.
Believe that your next chapter exists—even if you can’t see it yet. Believe that there are companies, leaders, teams, clients, or opportunities that need exactly what you bring. And believe that your career isn’t over simply because one door closed. You don’t have to know when it will happen. You don’t have to know exactly how it will happen. You simply have to leave room for the possibility that something better is on its way.
- You Have a Choice
Every day during a job search, you have a choice. You can feel good about the possibility of what comes next. Or you can feel crappy about everything that hasn’t happened yet. Neither guarantees an outcome.
But one creates a very different experience while you’re getting there. When you expect possibility, you’re more likely to notice it. When you expect rejection, you may unconsciously avoid the very things that could create opportunity.
Your job search is already uncertain. You get to decide whether that uncertainty feels like a threat, or a possibility for something amazing.
Five Things You Can Do Today to Be, Act & Believe
- BE: Start your day by naming three things you’re genuinely excited about—not necessarily related to your job search. Maybe it’s a coffee date, or going to a social event.
- ACT: Take one action that makes you feel like the person who already has your next chapter. Make the call. Send the message. Schedule the coffee.
- BELIEVE: Write down one career possibility that feels exciting but slightly scary. Then write: “This is possible for me.” Visualize yourself getting an amazing job offer and jumping up and down when the recruiter tells you the starting salary.
- GET CURIOUS: Instead of asking, “Will this be another let down?” ask, “What could I bring to this organization that they need?” See how you are the special unicorn they have been looking for all along.
- MOVE: Do something today that creates momentum. That could mean getting outside for a walk before the recruiter call. Joining a friend at the gym. It could mean applying to that role you weren’t sure you’re qualified for. Don’t wait until you have clarity. Let the action create the clarity.
Your next chapter doesn’t need you to have everything figured out. It needs you to stay open long enough to recognize it.
Be happy about the possibility.
Act like it’s possible.
Believe that it’s on its way.
And then go do something that moves you toward it.
And even if you are the most pessimistic cynic. Know this: whether you are disappointed that you won’t get picked, or you await with excitement to get the call back doesn’t actually matter. What matters is that you are spending time in that emotion in the meantime. That meantime is your life. Do you want to spend it excited, or depressed? Choice is yours.
If you’re needing some help through all those emotions and you need a little injection of hope, reach out. I do this work with clients every day. Often, they come to me frustrated, scared, not knowing what is next. Together we build a ladder out of that hole and walk the roadmap together. I have clients who have turned down multiple offers, easily negotiated for more money, and walked their exit strategy with grace. It IS possible and I’m totally here for it!
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If you think you might be ready for a career change, take the Career Assessment HERE.
Yvonne Lee-Hawkins is a Holistic Career & Burnout Coach supporting high-performing professionals through career transitions, leadership challenges, and burnout recovery.
You can find out more on her website, or follow her on LinkedIn, Medium, or Instagram.