Ryan’s Guide to Job Search Strategy: Your Mental Model is Broken

Your Mental Model is Broken

Volumes have been written on strategy. In short, it comes down to choosing where to play and positioning how to win.

Unfortunately, the mental model of job search and acquisition that most of us were taught doesn't do either the where or how, let alone do them effectively.

If you’re like me, you were taught that if you gather enough qualifications/experience, work on your resume/cover letter enough and apply for enough positions, you would clear HR, land interviews and eventually a job offer.

The reality couldn't be further from the truth. For me, enough never happened. Enough doesn’t exist because my mental model was broken. My mental model, and I suspect yours as well, leads only to despair, not job offers.

I’m going to rework the first part of your mental model, the job search. If there is sufficient demand, I’ll cover interviewing and choosing between offers in a later guide. I've chosen to start with job search strategy because there downstream issues are a moot point if you don’t land interviews, or even better, so impress someone that you’re hired on the spot.

Guide Navigation
Previous: Introduction
Next: A More Effective Mental Model