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The Secret to Finding a Better Job Is Being Better at Your Current Job

Published: Apr 12, 2017

 Interviewing       Job Search       Networking       Workplace Issues       
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It might seem counterintuitive, but if you want to find a better, more lucrative job, one that you really love, you first need to figure out how to be better at and learn to love your current job. Here’s why. 

Think of the interviews

When you interview for that better and more lucrative job, you'll be asked to tell about your current job. You'll be asked to tell about what you've done that's so impressive. You'll be asked to tell about all the responsibilities you have. You'll be asked to tell about all the innovative and interesting things you've been a part of. This means you'll want to be very good at your current job so you'll have better experience and more things to talk about and more things that'll sound impressive in your interviews. Then, of course, you'll have a better chance of getting that better, more lucrative job. 

It takes time

Since it will probably take more than a few months (maybe several months) to find that better, more lucrative job, you might be working at your current job, the one you want to leave, for quite some time once you've identified that it's a job you'd like to leave. And so, it'll benefit you to make the most of your current job while you're still there.

Although it could be very tempting not to do such a great job at your current job and begin to get negative about it and find all sorts of things you don’t like about it once you've decided you want to leave it (more things than you'd already found), this will only hurt you. Instead, look for things you do like about your current job, maybe even love, which will translate into you being more engaged, which will translate into you doing a better job (when you're more engaged you do better work), which will then translate into you having, as mentioned above, many more interesting and impressive things to talk about when you interview for that better, more lucrative job.

Recommendations and endorsements

Also, there's a good possibility that you'll have to get a recommendation from a manager or coworker, if not for this better, more lucrative job, then perhaps for another better, more lucrative job later in your career. So you won't want to do a poor job, or even an average job, at your current job. Rather, you'll want to work even harder than before and be even better at your job than before. You always want to stay in good standing with your coworkers and managers, especially right before you leave your job. Checking out at your current job can only come back to haunt you.

Positivity follows you wherever you go

Lastly, when you stay positive in your current job, when you find things you like about it and ways to be better at it, that positivity will be noticed outside your job. This positivity will follow you out into the world wherever you go, and you'll very likely attract opportunities that could lead to that better, more lucrative job. Now, if you think this sounds airy and/or you don't believe that this will work, then try this: The next time you feel very good about yourself, very confident, and very positive, pay attention to how people react to you. Note how others interact with you, speak with you, even look at you. (A successful salesman friend of mine calls this "the Yes mode," meaning people will only say yes to you when you're in this type of mood). Then contrast that with how people interact with you when you're not feeling so good about yourself, when you're feeling down, low, checked out, or depressed. I think you'll find that there's a big difference between the two. I've certainly found this to be true.

Of course, being better at your current job, learning to find things you like about it, and staying positive aren't enough. You still have to send out resumes and cover letters and network with as many people as you can. But if you do all of this, it should be just a matter of time (hopefully shorter than longer) until you find that better, more lucrative job.

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