Uncertain Badassery in Oakland

Dear Trellis,

I’m not new to work, but I’m just graduating from a new program and am on the hunt for my next role. In the past I brought a ton of anxiety and uncertainty to job searches, which do me no good and probably hurt. How can I search with empowerment this time? I know I’m a badass but it’s hard to keep that top-of-mind when I don’t feel like an expert in this new field.

Thanks,

Uncertain Badassery in Oakland

Dear Uncertain Badass,

What a terrific query! This may be my favorite topic at the moment. An earlier Dear Trellis queriest recently landed his dreamjob and I checked in with him to make sure my tips and ideas are up-to-the-minute relevant. Here is what you do, and how you approach your search. 

Job searching is stressful! Humans aren’t programmed to embrace uncertainty or rejection, and a job search is loaded with both. But we also have the ability to use neuroscience and behavioral conditioning to work WITH our brain chemistry and not against it. 

When something scary or challenging happens, like the mental thought “I need a job. I have bills to pay!” Your brain floods with cortisol, which makes your blood rush to your extremeties so you can run. It takes blood away from your brain, making your brain dumb. This thought pattern is not your path to success, but to increased anxiety, stress, and self-doubt. 

I recently learned a technique by the extraordinary Betsy Burroughs (@thedopaminediva) to coat your cortisol response with dopamine, thereby retaining the blood in your brain you need to find creative solutions and your dreamjob. Betsy asked me what my challenge is (finding  purposeful income with time flexibility). I wrote it on one side of an index card. She then asked me to name my favorite scent. I told her Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea eau de parfum. I wrote this on the other side of the index card. Now my stressful challenge and favorite scent are linked, and I’ve circumvented the scared part of my brain. Now looking for a job reminds me of this incredible scent that feels fresh and clean and invigorating, just like my job search! 

Tips to follow to make your job search fresh, clean, and invigorating: 

1. Follow the above technique to lift your brain out of the stress hormone and welcome in the dopamine. Look at your card before you go to bed and when you wake up, to keep your subconscious connecting the challenge with your favorite scent (you can also use favorite food or place on the planet, but be specific)

2. Set a goal on applying for ONE job per day. If you do that and have energy for more, go for it! Don’t do more than five even if you get on a role, to keep your brain safe and secure about what you are asking of it. 

3. Check these items off your list to get started powerfully: 

1. Boilerplate cover letter

2. Boilerplate resume

3. Updated LinkedIn profile

1. Browse people whose roles you want and see what their profile looks like. Use this as inspiration

4. Keywords for what you are looking for: 

1. Hybrid/on-site/remote

2. Geography

3. Industry

4. Title

4. Plan your rituals that make you feel cared for. This is key to avoiding burnout and unnecessary strain. Ideas I use include: 

1. Crafting a hot beverage - I love genmaicha green tea and having a pot at the ready when I begin. The heat soothes me and makes me feel unrushed

2. Taking breaks - I do 5 minutes of yoga each hour or two. If I’m in the zone I do yoga when I come out of it. I walk around the block to clear my mind. I take time for a nice lunch and book/podcast.

5. Rate the roles you find from 1-5 stars, so you know how much time and energy to devote to each opportunity

1. 1-star: Crappy job, don’t apply

2. 2-star: Okay, job, but issues with pay/geography/benefits/etc. don’t apply

3. 3-star: Good job, apply with zero customization to resume, minimal customization to cover letter

4. 4-star: Great job; apply with a custom cover letter and seek network support via LinkedIn (see below for details)

5. 5-star: Dream job, apply with a custom cover letter, tweak resume to fit as much as possible, seek network support via LinkedIn 

1. Read the listing and then plug in hyper-specific skills and phrases to match so the AI bots catch it

6. Leverage your network! The people you already know are your best key to finding your next role, and LinkedIn makes it easy (if boring) to find them. When you spot a 4-star or 5-star role, this is when you put time into applying. 

1. Search the company of interest on LinkedIn and see who you know there, even if it’s not a direct connection. 

2. When you find someone or a few someones, text or email your friend/contact who knows these people and ask for an assist. You don’t have to know them well, and they don’t have to know the person well. It doesn’t matter much. 

3. Then draft a 200 character blurb for your contact to share when they hit the “connect” button with that person. Here is an example of one I sent for a friend today. “Hey Bae, Stuart Smart is a good friend and mutual connection of ours. I'm reaching out for a friend because y'all are hiring for a role she'd be perfect for. Kristen is a product designer with a background in psychology who is passionate about helping artists and creators. Can I connect you?”

7. Remember that your next role is waiting for you, you just haven’t reached the finish line yet to find it. So try to be gentle with yourself and enjoy the relative calm before you land your next incredible gig! 

• Rebecca