Chapter 1
How Do I Find My Next Job?
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Focus on God
Now that you have started reading, let me be clear on what this book is about. It is not about finding a job and that may disappoint you. But it is about finding or strengthening your relationship with God as you go through the difficult process of a job search. Even though you will find tips on conducting a job search, I know that the success of your search is not to focus on the “what or how to job search techniques” but to focus on the “who” and that is God.
Unless you are rooted and grounded in God, conducting a job search can be very stressful. Just the uncertainty of finding the right job with the right compensation leads to anxiety if you focus on external circumstances. Remember when Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. “But seeing the wind he became frightened, and beginning to sink, cried out Lord save me” (Matthew 14:30). He did not begin to sink until he took his eyes off Jesus. Don’t allow negative news on the overall economy and personal rejection by prospective employers divert your attention from God. Worldly problems are not resolved by worldly solutions. They may abate for short periods, but will never be totally resolved. Only a solution guided by the Holy Spirit will totally defeat the trials of the natural world.
At a time when you need a great deal of support and encouragement, you may find yourself feelings dejected and undervalued. You may feel spiritually bankrupt. Unfortunately, some of those feeling may be reinforced unwittingly from close friends and family, who don’t understand “why you just can’t find a job.” It is not unusual to feel alone and discouraged during this period. In fact, it’s reported that for one month in December 2003 alone, some 350,000 people became so discouraged in their job search that they just “gave up.” People still give up in 2007. They quit trying to find a job!
What Should I Do?
What do people do before they reach this point? What do they do after failing to find a full-time position in their chosen field?
Here’s the conventional wisdom and progression for a typical job search.
Network
Respond to newspaper “Help Wanted” ads
Search Internet job boards
Search company/corporate websites
Join professional and industry groups
Send unsolicited resumes
Seek outplacement or an executive coach, if affordable
Failing in these steps, job seeker will then do one of the following:
Become a consultant
Start a business
Work part-time
Accept a lower paying and/or less prestigious position
Give up entirely
If you get to the bottom of the list, you are clearly at the end of your resources. You’re also probably at your lowest point emotionally. You may be bewildered because you have been totally focused on finding a job, yet interviews have been few or nonexistent. The prospect of a job offer appears to be remote. You probably feel completely defeated at this point, but in reality you may have finally arrived at a place where God can intervene and begin to reveal his career plan for you. He will also give you peace during the process. As Jesus told the disciples when they were terrified at seeing Him walking on water and thought he was a ghost. He calmed them saying “Take courage, it I; do not be afraid” Matthew 14:26. God does not want your employment situation to make you afraid. Trust him and he will calm your fears.
What God Will Do
God understands the importance of work. Jesus was a carpenter. The Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. In Paul’s rebuke to the Thessalonians concerning idleness, he said to them, “If any one will not work, let him not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) Clearly work is important to our survival. The Bible is filled with references of God’s work in creating the universe and His work in our everyday lives. We were created in God’s image and He created work for man just as He created the Sabbath to give us rest from our labor. God does not do anything without a purpose and we know from Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” God expects our work to honor Him and, in return, He will honor our work. All of our works, both spiritual and professional, should glorify God. This desire should be at the center of everything we do.
How do I find my next job?
We started this chapter with the question, “How Do I Find My Next Job?” The question should actually be, “How Do I Find the Job that God Has Planned for Me?” Let’s look deeper within ourselves and align the desires of our heart with God’s purpose for our life. Let’s not find a job and ask God to bless it, let’s ask God to find a job that will be a blessing to us and glorifies Him. When you compare and acknowledge the suffering of Christ on the Cross with your circumstances, it jolts you into a perspective that should turn your attention to God not your job search. It’s petty to focus on your problems when you truly understand what and why Christ died for you. Christ’s dying enables God’s plan for your life to prosper you!
When you place your faith in God and recognize His powers to not only find you a job, but also to change your life, then you are of the right mind to conduct your job search. This book is based on three Biblical principles: (1) God is good: (2) God loves you; and (3) God is in control. If you believe and trust those principles, God will do extraordinary things in your life.
