4 Reasons You're Ambivalent About The Job Search (And How To Tackle Each One)

 
You’ve decided you want to change companies. But, that’s about as far as you’ve managed to get. Each time you sit down to actually dig through some open positions, quantify your bullet points and tailor your resume, you just think, “Meh.”
Sure, you could do this today. But, there’s always tomorrow, right?
 

Spoiler alert: Tomorrow never comes, and you’re left wondering why you’re so ambivalent about your job search . Why can’t you ever manage to actually roll up your sleeves and get started?
You aren’t alone. There are plenty of reasons that people continue to push this off. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones—as well as how to overcome them—so that you can get started on your hunt for a new gig today , rather than tomorrow.
Related: 5 Ways To Keep Going When The Job Search Is Getting You Down

1. You’re Not Sure What You Want
When it comes to what you’re looking for in a new job, you only have one piece of criteria: Something that’s different from what you’re doing currently.
That’s not much helpful information to operate with. And, feeling completely unclear on your goals will make the job search feel that much more endless and overwhelming.
Do This
You need to gain some clarity on what you’re searching for in your next position. Fortunately, there are tons of things you can do to narrow your options.
Start by playing a fun game of career MadLibs with these nine revealing questions. If you see some patterns? It’s time to do some research into that specific field—including setting up some coffee chats to learn from people in that industry.
Doing so will give you some much-needed direction, which will ultimately make you feel that much more excited.
 

Related: 5 Ways To Stay Motivated In A Frustrating Job Hunt
2. You’re Not That Unhappy Where You Are
You’re not exactly thrilled with your current gig. But, you’re not that unhappy either. The work is decent, your pay and benefits are good, you like your co-workers and you’re pretty comfortable.
Sure, you have a bit of an itch to try something new and get to the next rung of that proverbial ladder. But, the desire isn’t quite strong enough to really light a fire under you.

Do This
The first thing you need to do here is to determine whether or not you actually want a new job, or if you just feel like you should have one. I recommend making a standard pros and cons list (gotta love those, right?) to help you figure out your next move.
If you discover you’re actually pretty content and satisfied with your current situation? That’s great—there’s no job search to be ambivalent about!
But, if you uncover that you really would like a new role, it’s time to get yourself motivated. Take Muse columnist Julia Corbett’s advice and make yourself an actionable to-do list with smaller tasks that you can check off one-by-one.
Related: 3 Questions Desperate Job Seekers Need To Stop And Ask Themselves

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