True confession: I do believe there is such a thing as a dumb question. “Have you googled it?” is my default comeback to anyone asking me something that seems obvious. Google it. Pull up your device of choice and ask away.
When it comes to job search and career transition, Google wants you to google it. In this short clip, the answers to your work questions are all found through the search window.
When you’re choosing a career, changing careers, or searching for a job, Google is a great resource. Use Google to:
Understand the basic duties and requirements of a given position or industry
Get reviews on companies you are considering
Do desk research on the demand for given skills and backgrounds.
But Google is not enough to get deep clarity on where you should be headed with your vocation.
Google assumes you know what to search for.
What about the “you” side of the equation in terms of what you bring to the table – your ability, skills, and passions? What about the “God” side of the equation in terms of the burdens, direction, and confirmation he has given you? Who is helping you search your heart to gain personal clarity so you know what to type in that search bar?
Google provides you with a filtered view of the world.
Their algorithms are customized to your search history. Advertisers try to capitalize on the search terms you use. How do you really know what it's like to be, for example, a firefighter? You can find a documentary on YouTube. It may be great but it’s not the full picture. There’s no music playing in the background in real life. Documentaries are edited, sculpted views of reality.
At VOCA we have a people-centric view of the search process. Someone knows the answers to the questions you have about a career path, company culture, or position. Finding and engaging in conversation with the right people gives you a different, unedited perspective. God can meet us anywhere and so often he meets us through community with others, individuals he’s appointed to help us on the way.
Googling it can lead you to an overwhelming array of options.
This feeds into the exhaustion of choice fatigue. It is very easy to burn hours on rabbit trails as you click through the screens. This is where the need for wise counsel comes in.
Wise counsel is a term from the Proverbs. It goes beyond technical knowledge to a kind of practical insight. Wisdom is knowing what to do. Engaging in conversation with those who are wise is a powerful check on an overwhelming array of choices. A helpful thought partner can help you sort through your list of possibilities and focus on the few that will yield the most benefit.
Google. Great for desk research at various points in your job transition journey.
Google. No replacement for deep self-awareness, real-world conversations, and wise counsel to navigate your lifelong career journey.
Google it, but don’t stop there.