You’re looking for a job: don’t become a Candidate.
I’m not telling you not to look for your next role. I’m telling you to remain the Leader you are while doing so. Because the moment you switch to Candidate mode – needy, desperate, grateful for any consideration, the downward spiral starts. And it will crush you.
I’ve been there. I was laid off in 2021, exhausted and broken. I knew starting a search from that place would run me into the ground while burning bridges. I made a different choice. I created my own company. Not easier, but building kept me in the posture of a leader solving problems, not begging for permission to exist professionally.
As you exit your role, ask yourself these five questions:
1. What story am I telling myself about what just happened?
Your skills and your value didn’t evaporate with your job. You’ve built teams, solved impossible problems, and influenced prominent people. None of that disappeared because someone handed you a severance packet. Don’t let that voice in your head try to convince you otherwise.
2. How long can I afford not to have a paycheck?
Do the math now, calculate your runway. Don’t stress over a problem that doesn’t exist yet. Most leaders have more breathing room than their anxiety tells them. Operate from a place of serenity, not scarcity and agony.
3. Whose anxiety am I carrying?
Your partner and parents love you and will likely share their worry and fears about your situation. Their anxiety isn’t yours to carry. Set boundaries and clarify how they can best support you. No one interfered with how you led your job. Same rules apply now for your search.
4. Where will I find belonging now?
You’ve left the “circle”. No more meetings and peer exchanges. That loss is real. Double down on your social and family life. Find a community that wants you. Connect with other leaders in transition. Belonging was never about your title. It was about you and your presence. And that hasn’t gone anywhere.
5. What will my days look like?
Looking for a job is not a full-time job. Don’t do busywork eight hours a day out of guilt. Set a schedule. Block family time, and time for yourself. You’re not punished and you don’t need permission to enjoy a tennis game at 11am. Anything that replenishes your energy and mindset will make you show up stronger in interviews and reassure the people who worry about you.
You are not a Candidate looking for someone to save you. You are a Leader entering the most important turnaround of your career.
Take a breath. You’ve done harder things than this.
Next 24 hours: write down three accomplishments you’re proud of. Full stories about transformations you led, teams you built, impact you created. Start a story bank. Add to it daily. You’ll need it when doubt creeps in and when you walk into your next interview.
Run this transition like the leader you are. You’ve got this.
Free Upcoming Virtual Event
Looking for your next role? Don’t show up as a candidate. Join this live webinar for leaders in transition.
We’ll deep dive into those 5 questions, and reset and transform how you think and run your job search. Ditch the needy-guilty candidate mindset and radically shift how you show up as you network and interview. Accelerate momentum and multiply your chances to land fast, on your terms.
Tuesday 18th November, 11-12 EST
