• The holidays are coming, so I’m going to ease up on my job search.
• Companies hire less during the summer. I’m taking it easy for now.
• The economy is sluggish. I’ll start looking again once things pick up.
• It’s an election year. Companies are waiting. I will too.
• I’ll wait until March to start my search, once companies finalize their budgets.

These justifications may seem logical, especially when we add more data like there are Big Tech layoffs and this means less hiring, budget uncertainties mean companies are more cautious and AI is changing the hiring landscape.

The good news … this is not my first rodeo. I have heard these or similar justifications throughout my career as a recruiter and here is what I do know:

💣Truth Bomb #1: No matter the market, economy, or time of year companies still hire. Opportunities are still out there. People are getting interviews and job offers.

The fact is that things are not that different now than they were 3 months ago, 6 months ago, or whenever you started your job search.

What is different is how you are thinking and feeling about your job search.

When you started your job search, I can bet that you felt differently than you do now. You believed you’d refresh your resume, polish your LinkedIn profile, and apply to jobs you liked, and interviews and offers would soon follow. You took action and got some initial results, but then things slowed down.

💣Truth Bomb #2: Job searches can take longer than we expect.

A slowdown after the first rush of initial job applications IS NORMAL! But you used this slowdown against yourself and lost sight of your bigger goal … to find that next job you love.

This is not me being pollyannaish.

I have seen the difference between someone who believes in their job search success and someone who doesn’t.

When you do not believe a job is out there for you and then you take your foot off the gas, things just take longer!

When you begin to question yourself and your experience, you start letting external circumstances dictate your energy and you begin to find logical reasons to justify why you should take less action instead of more. You create a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will get evidence confirming a slowdown and then you will slow down even more.

Waiting for the perfect external conditions, finding justifications why you should take your foot off the gas, or blaming your skills and experience for why things are not happening faster is a horrible job search strategy!

Why? Because… 💣Truth Bomb #1. Companies are still hiring, opportunities are still out there, and people are getting interviews and job offers.

Here is some more good news.

When other job seekers start slowing down and come up with reasons to take a break, it’s your chance to get ahead.

While they’re hitting the brakes, you’re facing less competition. As they wait for the New Year to kick things off, you’re already applying, interviewing, negotiating, and setting up your New Year start date!

When the initial burst of energy from starting your search begins to fade, that’s exactly when you speed up. After you’ve got your resume and

LinkedIn profile in place, and are in your job search rhythm you become more efficient. This is when you think, “Now I can do more.”

Efficiency means you can apply to more jobs in less time, send more personalized outreach, and continue networking at a higher quality and volume.

Instead of buying into thoughts like “The market is tough” or “I’ll wait for better timing,” move from your unintentional mindset of slowing down to your intentional mindset of being fueled by the belief that your job is just around the corner. This may help:

Unintentional Mindset:

• Thought: The market is hard, and it should be easier by now.
• Feeling: Hopeless and de-energized.
• Action: Slow down my job search.
• Outcome: Fewer interviews, no offers.

Intentional Mindset:

• Thought: When others are slowing down, I speed up. Companies are hiring right now. My job is just around the corner waiting for me to apply.
• Feeling: Energized, committed, and patient.
• Action: Applying to jobs regularly and actively networking.
• Outcome: More connections, greater momentum, and higher likelihood of interviews and offers. Bring it!

This shift is what will separate those who stay stuck from those who land the role they want. It’s about maintaining belief in your value to the market, the opportunities available in the market, and that there are opportunities available, regardless of external noise.

Now is not the time to slow down. It’s time to double down.

If you’re ready to keep your foot on the gas and want guidance on how to stay energized, strategic, and resilient in your job search, get on the waitlist for Career Alchemy Academy.