Most people don’t know what exactly they want to do with their careers. Even among leaders at Harvard Business School, fewer than 20% report having a strong sense of their career purpose.

Yet the perspective I consistently hear from job seekers (and that I have been pressured to feel in my own career) is that we are all born with one innate career purpose. And that if we just look hard enough or in the right places, we will find it. And that once we find it, we will be happy in our careers for all eternity.

This is quite simply the worst career advice out there. It’s not reflected in the numbers. It’s certainly not empowering to the 80% of us who don’t have that one career goal in mind. And most importantly, it’s not grounded in the reality that we are constantly changing people in a constantly changing world.

A metaphor I like to use for all the “innate purpose” and “follow your passion” advice is Michelangelo’s David.

The goal of my work is to get people inspired to dream big about their careers, and to help them follow the step-by-step path to landing their dream job.

But I must confess that the biggest mind-shift most of my clients experience while working with me or participating in my Land Your Dream Job course is this:

We achieve happiness in our careers not when we ‘get it all’, but rather when we recognize what’s most important to us, and optimize for that.

Every day I speak with professionals eager to find happiness at work. And I ask everyone the same first question: “What does happiness at work mean to you; what does it look like?”

If you’re like most people, your response goes something like this:

To stay or not to stay. Is that the question?

Oftentimes professionals fall into the trap of viewing finding a new job as an all-or-nothing decision: “Either I stick with the status quo, or I try for something better. What to do?”

Sadly, framing the question in this way leads to indecision that can drag on months or even years, because we’re searching for perfect clarity (or waiting for a perfect gig to fall in our lap) before we take action. 

But you can’t think or wait your way out of career indecision. It just doesn’t work. It takes more action -- and less thinking -- to either land that next job or come to a place of peace in your current one. 

What you should be asking yourself is, “What small action could I take today to move my career in the right direction?” 

I’ve read more articles than I can count sharing ideas for reviving a stagnant job search. And I feel beyond frustrated every time I see suggestions like “Attend a networking event!” “Call your mentor!” and “Update that resume!”

Succeeding in the modern day job search requires a strategic approach. So when you start to feel stuck (most job seekers experience this at least once in their search), don't just try anything and everything. 

Instead, pursue only the activities that address your specific challenges -- thereby saving you time and generating the results you need to move forward.  

Learn the two-step process I use with job seekers who find themselves in a job search rut.

Once you’ve identified the career paths you’re most passionate about pursuing, it’s important to check in and ask yourself honestly, how hard do you want your job search to be?

My personal philosophy that I share with my clients is that I sincerely believe you can achieve just about any career path -- if you’re willing to do what it takes to get there.

But before you dive into your search, it’s helpful to have a clear understanding of how well your experience and expertise to-date position you to achieve your career goals, and to be honest with yourself about which type of transition you’re willing to take on.

First, you need to recognize that employers generally look for three areas of expertise for any job:

To figure out which job you want to do, you need to start with what you like to do.

This means asking yourself which activities and processes you want to fill your days doing -- or in other words, which skills you most enjoy.

The problem is, most of us are terrible at articulating our skills.

And if we can’t articulate our skills, how on earth can we determine which of them we enjoy most?

I see this problem frequently when my clients complete our direction-setting diagnostic. One question asks you to list all of your skills, and then categorize them into those you enjoy and don’t enjoy. With a full picture of what you can do and what you enjoy doing in front of you, it becomes easier to assess the career possibilities at your fingertips, and which of them may merit pursuit.

But when listing their skills, most people (no matter their industry!) tend to only include non-specific, soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, organizing, planning, collaborating.

This isn’t too surprising; we're socialized at work to focus on “we” over “I” and to talk in least common denominators about company and team goals -- we rarely delve into the specific parts of the process we individually own to help achieve those goals.

Yet because soft skills are applicable to most any job, they don’t help you discern which jobs you’re more likely to love than others.

For that level of insight, you need to go deeper into what I like to call “how skills.”

The vast majority of professionals cite “purpose” as one of their top priorities at work.* Yet, even among executives and students at Harvard Business School, fewer than 20% report having a strong sense of their own individual purpose.** In sum, purpose is something most of professionals want, badly, but few of them have found -- and sadly, not having found it often leaves them feeling lacking, behind, or lost. 

Yes, there are hallmarked examples of individuals finding their life’s work in the blink of an eye, like Newton with his apple or Edison with his light bulb. But recent research has shed light on how creativity and insight are generated via exploration, learning and action, rather than waiting for lightning to strike.***

So here are the two simple steps we’ve found that anyone can take -- today -- to find purpose at work:

Identifying your values is an important step in understanding what motivates you in and out of the office. 

1. On the chart below, circle the top 15 values of most importance to you out of the 150 values listed
2. Once you have your top 15, strike 5 from your list to find your top 10
3. Once you have your top 10, strike 3 more from your list to find your top 7
4. Now rank your top 7 values from most to least important. This will help you evaluate potential opportunities and how to take the right step in the face of challenging decisions in the future.

Once you have completed this exercise, you can move on to our career direction diagnostic to help you define your purpose at work. 

The job search often feels like a black box -- you have no idea which inputs actually get noticed and make a difference in getting you that job offer.

But while the complex process of applying, networking and interviewing for jobs does require a strategic approach, I'm happy to share my four favorite phrases that quickly cut through the noise and dramatically improve my clients’ job search results.

In this article I share the four phrases -- and more importantly, the mindsets beneath them -- that drive not only job search success, but career success.

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers (and all professionals) make is waiting to engage with their network until they need something.

Although we know we should “always be networking,” most professionals avoid networking because it feels time consuming, scary, and inauthentic.

But there’s a quick, easy and genuine networking activity you can do from your desk that improves your relationships, dramatically alters your career opportunities, and makes the world a better place.

Most people struggle with networking because of what I call the “scary-slimy-useless” trio:

• Networking can feel scary -- like you’re willingly putting yourself at risk of rejection or feeling like an imposter.
• Networking can feel slimy -- like you’re disingenuously using people to get what you want.
• Networking can feel useless -- like no matter how many events or coffee dates you attend, you’re still not making progress.

But by changing your mindset and approach, you can transform the way you feel about networking and the results you see from it.

If you’re just starting out in your job search, you may have spent time clicking around and applying to jobs online (nine out of ten early-stage job seekers tell me this). If so, take a moment to celebrate; shifting from thinking to action is the most challenging step in any endeavor.

But now let me level with you:

Successful job seekers focus on spending more time with people -- and less with postings.

In a complex, quickly-shifting job market with overwhelming options, you need peopleto give you context and guidance on where to focus your job search energy -- which positions to pursue, how to pursue them, and who can help you land them.

I know, I’ve said it countless times, and I’ll say it again: 85% of jobs are landed through networking. Yes, it requires picking up the phone and putting yourself out there. But the positive effects are staggering. I’ve seen languishing, months-old applications turn into interviews the same day an outreach email was sent to the right person, and I’ve seen informal interviews turn into on-the-spot job offers for positions that weren’t even posted.

And not only are the results of networking fast-acting and illuminating; as daunting as reaching out for help may seem, people have a magical way of injecting confidence and momentum into your search (both of which are hard to generate on your own).

Hence, what every early-stage job seeker needs most is a short and sweet plan for connecting with real people who can point you in the right direction and help you set your search up for success.

Read the full article for your five-step, human-centered, job search startup plan

I firmly believe that Stanford Professor Carol Dweck’s research on the growth mindset can positively impact all aspects of our personal and professional lives, which is why I share a 2-page summary of Dweck’s book with all of my clients.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Dweck’s research, here’s the 2-bullet summary:

• Dweck shows that with the growth mindset, you can train your mind to approach challenges with wonder, excitement and resilience.
• In contrast, the fixed mindset carries the detrimental effect of making us react to challenges with fear or avoidance, hence diminishing our potential to grow.

When I was working in Silicon Valley, I heard “growth mindset” used often in meetings about hitting goals or shifting directions. But to me, job seekers are the audience that can most benefit from Dweck’s findings. Because every phase of today’s job search process requires us to face rejection and a host of other challenges, the growth mindset is almost required for getting the job. And quite simply, it can make it a whole lot more fun.

Keep reading for the five reasons the growth mindset seeker lands the job -- and how to put those tenets into action yourself.

So you’re moving forward in your search, but you feel like you’ve tapped your existing network for support and introductions. With the knowledge that 85% of jobs are landed through networking, what else can you do to position yourself for success? 

You got it: more networking (I know, queue agonizing scream...). 

There are many reasons why people don’t like reaching out to someone they don’t know: It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. It may result in silence or rejection. 

But here’s why you should: There is nothing to lose, and a whole lot to gain -- an introduction, an interview, or a job offer -- if you do it right. 

My clients who use this template see 60-70% of people they reach out to responding positively. Pause and think about that for a second: From your desk, you could send 10 brief emails and make 6-7 new connections, and then wow them with your dynamite informational interview skills. That’s 6-7 new advocates to help you succeed in your search.

So how do you do it? 

The goal is to show this person you don’t know that, in fact, you’re already connected. 

You want to show that through some shared experience, passion, or aspect of your identities, you are not strangers, but allies. As a stranger, you are easy to ignore amidst the busy working day and inbox overflow. But as an ally, you are someone worth making time for -- especially when you show her that you will use her precious time wisely and create value for her in return. 

Take a look at our template and steps to craft your perfect cold email. It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to write once you master the technique. 

So you’ve figured out who you want to speak with to move forward in your job search, and you’re getting ready for an informational interview. 

What would make this conversation a success? 

Some people mistakenly think informational interviews are informal and all about relationship-building. But the real opportunity in an informational interview is to convince someone to become your advocate, by getting you an interview or another introduction in the right direction. 

A 2016 survey revealed that 85% of jobs are found via networking, and experts tend to agree that only 30% of all jobs are posted online. Master the informational interview, and this can become the key to landing your next gig. 

Here's how to convince someone you’re worthy of a little effort and a little risk, by making sure they leave your conversation thinking:

1. “He knows what he wants.”
2. “He came prepared with reasonable expectations.”
3. “I know exactly how to help him.”
4. “I want to help him.”

Every day I see job seekers with LinkedIn headlines or even resume summaries that start out like this:

Seeking opportunities…

Unemployed…

In between jobs…

In fact, almost 1 million LinkedIn members are using these headlines to try and land their next gig right now.

But this approach is a huge mistake for two very important reasons: 

While phenomenal resume tips (and debates) abound, there’s one point everyone seems to miss:

Out of all the job search activities, crafting a perfect resume is the least likely to land you an interview; the odds are simply not in your favor.

You see evidence of the disadvantageous resume odds every time you apply for a position online. For example, one of my clients this past week wanted to apply for an HR Generalist position in Chicago that had been live for three days and had already received 649 applications.

On top of this, we know that recruiters spend on average 6.25 seconds reviewing a resume (if at all), and 80% of that time is spent on your name, and the company name, position title and date range of your two most recent positions -- all things you cannot change.

The takeaway: spend less time on your resume

Think of The Hunger Games. Those in power offered contestants false hope with the phrase, “May the odds be ever in your favor.” While most of the contestants rehearsed their fighting skills to marginally increase their chances, Katniss’ winning approach was to ignore conventional wisdom -- she changed the rules of the game instead.

If you’re still focusing the majority of your job search time on your resume, cover letter, and applying online, it’s time for you to rethink the rules of the job search game.

It’s not that you don’t need these resources; you still do (sorry!). But this week’s article shows you how to focus and complete your resume in the least amount of time so you can save the majority of your job search energy for higher value activities like strategic networking.

The key is to invest just enough time to make your resume strong enough to keep you in the running once you’ve gotten your foot in the door.

At NSC, we compiled all of the available research and advice into what we’ve found to be the highest value, safest bet, 30-minute resume creation template -- that still increases the odds of a recruiter or resume review software paying attention when you submit online.

Most importantly, your resume needs to accomplish two critical goals:

What’s the only part of the job search people hate more than networking?

Cover letters.

We already get the heebie-jeebies talking about ourselves, and now we have to spend an entire page writing about ourselves too? Yuch.

What’s more frustrating is that cover letters don’t even get you the job; they mostly keep you from getting crossed off the list of candidates while you’re landing the job through networking. But when an application calls for a cover letter, you need one, and it has to be strong.

Most candidates make two mistakes when writing cover letters. First, they spend too much time dumping all their work experience into the letter (making it an unnavigable stream of content). And second, they then spend too little time tailoring the letter to the specific opportunity (let’s be honest -- we’ve all quickly replaced the company name on a generic letter...). Sadly, both mistakes prevent you from making a clear and compelling presentation to your prospective employer.

This is why I teach my clients the template for writing dynamite cover letters in 20 minutes.

The secret to this template is that just like any interview question, the question you’re really responding to when writing a cover letter is “Why should I hire you?”

Your prospective employer doesn’t want your life story or a narrative recap of your resume. They want the top 2-3 reasons (max!), with supporting evidence, that you’re the best fit for the role. So why not just give it to them straight?

Keep reading for the step by step 20-minute process, or zip to the bottom of this article for the full plug-and-play template.

Stephanie recently received her Master’s degree in Special Education, and was applying for a full-time teaching position. She gave me permission to show you her full cover letter that follows our 20-minute template. 

Nailing the interview starts to feel a whole lot less scary once you're exceptionally prepared. And that means being prepared to tackle each of these most-common interview questions with the NSC interview response formula: 

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why are you interested in working for us?
3. Why are you looking for a new job / why do you want to leave your current organization?
4. What are your strengths?

At some point in the interview, likely towards the end, we know we’ll be asked for our questions (it happens in 84% of interviews). And we know asking good questions is important, since 32% of hiring managers in a recent study stated not asking good questions in the interview is one of the most detrimental mistakes job candidates make. 

Yet we often short-shift preparing for this inevitable moment of the interview. I hear it all the time: 

“I’ll just ask about company culture, or what they like most about working at the company, or about an exciting project coming up.” 

These mediocre questions may not hurt your chances of getting the job like some questions do (which I’ll be digging into next week), but they don’t help you either.

What few people realize is that great questions have the power to convince your interviewer to give you the offer -- sometimes right there in the interview room! And a handful of these great questions carry the dual benefit of eliciting information to help you determine whether you really want the job. 

The “Do you have any questions for me?” moment of the interview can confuse us, because we’ve prepared for and gotten used to responding; when the table turns, we can mistakenly put ourselves in the driver’s seat and assume what we ask doesn’t matter. 

And while in some cases this may be true (like when you know you’re the top pick for the job), most often you are still selling yourself during this part of the interview! Focus on questions that demonstrate your commitment and determination to helping your prospective employer be as successful as possible, and save the “me, me, me” questions for once you receive the offer.

Keep reading for our shortlist of dynamite win-win questions that get you one step closer to an offer -- and figuring out if you really want the job. 

So you interviewed for a job, started to see yourself in the position and feel it within your grasp, and then didn’t get the offer. This article will share step-by-step instructions on how to get the best insight out of your rejection and increase the likelihood of getting to “yes” next time. 

There must be thousands of articles on typical interview questions and how to prepare for them. Mostly, the advice tends to center around “be specific!” or “do your research!” or “make eye contact!” All good stuff. But I haven’t seen anything yet that shares the secret to interviewing, and the number one trick you can use to knock it out of the park, every time. 

So here’s the secret:

It’s the end of the year, which means most of us are focused on getting out of the office -- and getting into our comfiest pajamas to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.

But before you turn off your office lights and drive home to the tune of Bing Crosby’s ‘Happy Holidays’ (I can hear him crooning now...), here are 3 questions I recommend asking yourself to make sure you close out the year strong and set yourself up to hit the ground running next year.

When it comes to salary negotiation, job seekers make three common mistakes:

1. They fear negotiating.
2. They fail to prepare early and extensively.
3. They share their desired salary before receiving an official offer.

What I’ve learned from coaching clients through the job search process and through instruction from salary negotiation expert Jim Hopkinson, is that just like interviewing or any other job search activity, salary negotiation requires a confident and strategic approach.

In response to the above missteps, there are three key messages about salary negotiation I hope every job seeker keeps in mind when gearing up for their search.

So you've succeeded in navigating the long, demoralizing, painstaking process of landing a job offer. Congratulations!

Chances are the first thing you'll want to do is share the good news with family, friends and mentors -- and get their take on whether you should accept it.

But wait! Picking up the phone too soon can be a serious mistake. Why?

The only person’s values you want driving your career decisions are your own.

And until you clarify what's most important to you, it's best to avoid input from others that could muddle your decision-making process, or possibly bind you to satisfying their preferences over yours.

Keep reading to learn how to make your values the first stop in your decision-making process. 

Last week we broke down why job searching should be one of everyone’s 2017 New Year’s Resolutions. But the first job search step I tell all my clients to take is to honestly assess your potential to turn your current position into one you love, before you double down on looking elsewhere.

One of the best exercises I've found for assessing challenging situations and getting moving in the right direction is The Bugs Test, which I learned from my mentor Tony Brown at Duke University.

What makes The Bugs Test so powerful is its immediate ability to provide clarity by categorizing problems into:

• the problems we can easily change,
• the problems we should accept (because they’ll never change), and
• the problems we might be able to change with serious thought and effort (hint: these are often the most important ones).

Whether you’re interested in moving on or simply making an already strong work situation even better, in 10 minutes you should have clearer insight into how to take ownership of your next steps and your future happiness at work.

Identifying your values is an important step in understanding what motivates you in and out of the office. 

1. On the chart below, circle the top 15 values of most importance to you out of the 150 values listed
2. Once you have your top 15, strike 5 from your list to find your top 10
3. Once you have your top 10, strike 3 more from your list to find your top 7
4. Now rank your top 7 values from most to least important. This will help you evaluate potential opportunities and how to take the right step in the face of challenging decisions in the future.

Once you have completed this exercise, you can move on to our career direction diagnostic to help you define your purpose at work. 

Tribe: On Homecoming & Belonging by American journalist, author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger is rich with story and fact, and I highly recommend reading it in full (~150 pages). In this brief summary, I share the main points that continue to stick with me, and how lessons from Tribe apply to today’s job seekers.

In her 2007 Book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Stanford Researcher Carol Dweck shares the following research conclusions: