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How To Manage Failure in Your Job Search, with Harsha Boralessa

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Do you feel like a failure as a job seeker? Perhaps you’ve been rejected more times than you ever thought possible, or you can’t seem to get an interview, no matter how qualified you are. The key to dealing with failure in a job search all comes down to mindset, says Find Your Dream Job guest Harsha Boralessa. Harsha suggests that resilience is the most important quality to have as a job seeker. Persistence, along with a specific job search strategy, will pay off in the long term. Harsha also shares the importance of doing at least one thing every day to further your career goals. 

About Our Guest:

Harsha Boralessa is the founder and the host of the Reframe and Reset Your Career podcast.

Resources in This Episode:

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 423:

How To Manage Failure in Your Job Search, with Harsha Boralessa

Airdate: November 1, 2023

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume. TopResume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster.

Get a free review of your resume today.

Go to macslist.org/topresume.

It takes time to find the right job.

Sometimes months or even longer.

And as time goes by, you might become frustrated, discouraged, and even overwhelmed as you look for work.

Harsha Boralessa is here to talk about how to manage and avoid failure in your job search.

He’s the founder and the host of the Reframe and Reset Your Career podcast.

Previously, Harsha worked for more than 15 years in investment banking, management, and accounting.

He joins us from the city of London.

Well, let’s jump right into it, Harsha. Let’s start with definitions. What do you mean when you talk about job search failures?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, I think that’s a great question, Mac. Essentially, if you are not getting the interviews that you want or you’re getting the interviews, and unfortunately, you’re not getting the offers. So, it’s a combination of things. So, really, it’s where you are trying out there. You’re putting out your applications, and you’re just not getting any success in your job search.

Mac Prichard:

Do you make a distinction, Harsha, between rejection, which you’re gonna get, you’re gonna hear no, looking for work is like sales. But do you make a distinction between rejection and failure here? Or are they very similar?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think, in a way, it’s sort of part of the process that, I think, you know that you are going to get some rejection in your job search, whether it’s not hearing back from the company or if you go for an interview and it doesn’t go well. So, I think, in a way, it’s interchangeable.

But I think it’s very much about not worrying too much about the results and just keeping going. I think that’s the key thing I see when speaking to my guests and people in the market.

Mac Prichard:

How often, Harsha, in your experience, can candidates expect these kinds of failures to happen in a typical job search?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think it’s a regular thing, and I wouldn’t give any numbers because it varies from candidate to candidate. It could be that you’re very lucky, and in your first ten applications, things go really well. But it could be that you have to do fifty or a hundred or a hundred and fifty. So, I think the key thing is not to worry so much about how it’s going in terms of numbers.

But I think it’s important to be persistent and just think about the process. Are you putting your best foot forward? Are you making sure that for every application, you’ve actually tailored it for the specific application?

And also try and learn and see if there are any bits of feedback that you can get, and try and maybe get somebody to review what you’re doing because if you’re experiencing constant rejection or not getting success, it could be something that you’re doing which somebody else could pick up.

Mac Prichard:

What mistakes do you see candidates make when they react to these kinds of job search failures that you just described?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think the key thing, Mac, is it’s about your mindset, and I think when you do experience adversity, whether it’s not hearing back, or you failing in an interview, or being rejected, it’s to get down on yourself. You’ll get very negative, and I think it’s really important to think about your mindset.

And I know it’s difficult, but it is important to maintain a positive mindset and just keep going, and it’s one of these cliches – I think it’s all about the process and not so much about the result. So, if you keep sticking to a process and have that mindset where you’re not so worried about the result, I think that’s the important thing.

Mac Prichard:

Well, let’s talk about mindset, Harsha, because I know that’s one of your tips for how to manage failure during a job search. Tell us about mindset. What do you mean by that?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, and I think this sort of goes back to Carol Dweck, who started this topic, you know, Growth Mindset, she wrote that book on mindset, and I think it’s very much about trying to think. Not being attached to the result and really thinking, okay, so, say, if you lose your job or you’re experiencing difficulties in your job search, don’t be attached to the failure or the rejection.

It’s really to try and think, okay, what’s happened has happened. Don’t be attached to that, and also, I think get your head straight because a lot of my guests have talked about how when they lose their job, or they get laid off, it’s very easy to get very down on yourself.

And I think it’s really important to try to grieve and not be…and look, losing a job, it is a very traumatic impact. So, as a number of my guests have said, take time for yourself. Take time to grieve. But then try and look forward and don’t get attached to the result. Really try and focus on the process of connecting with people, sending out applications, that sort of thing.

Mac Prichard:

So take time to grieve, don’t get attached to an unfavorable result, and go out and start connecting with others.

What other advice have you heard from people you’ve interviewed on your show about how paying attention to mindset can make a difference when you’re dealing with your own job search failures?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, and I think it’s really important to try and look forward and try and think about the potential opportunities that are ahead of you rather than looking back and regretting. Because I think it’s a tendency for all of us humans to look back on the opportunities that went away but not think about the opportunities going forward.

So, I think it’s really important not to just get down on yourself if things aren’t going well, and a number of my guests have talked about how it’s important to try and keep looking forward, keep being positive, because it’s very easy, if you do get into this negative frame of mind, for that to come across to potential employers, to interviewers, and people can really pick that up quite easily.

So, it’s very important to look after yourself, be positive, because that really does come across in a job interview. And if you’re coming across in a negative way, unfortunately, people think, well, do I really want to be hiring that person or working with them? And it is unfair. But unfortunately, people are very busy as interviewers, so they sometimes come to these judgments.

Mac Prichard:

What about resiliency, Harsha? What have you seen work well for people who want to cultivate resiliency, and how can that help you when you’re managing a job search failure?

Harsha Boralessa:

Oh, I think this is so key, and it’s really about that persistence, and I think really with job search, sometimes there are no silver bullets, and it really is about being persistent and managing failure.

A number of my guests, especially from a supporting background, have talked about how it’s really important to almost become comfortable with things not going well. But not being overwrought by it, you know, take some time to grieve a little bit, be unhappy. But then get straight back to, if you do get rejected, make sure you keep sending out the applications, keep following up with people, and keep interacting with as many people as possible.

Mac Prichard:

Well, let’s pause and take a break, Harsha. Stay with us. When we come back, Harsha Boralessa will continue to share his advice on how to manage failure in your job search.

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Now, let’s get back to the show.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio.

I’m talking with Harsha Boralessa.

He’s the founder and the host of the Reframe and Reset Your Career podcast.

Previously, Harsha worked for more than 15 years in investment banking, management, and accounting.

He joins us from the city of London.

Now, Harsha, before the break, we were talking about how to manage failure in your job search, and we closed that first segment by talking about the importance of persistence and how that’s a good habit that resilient people cultivate and practice.

Another idea that I know you recommend for people managing failure in a job search is to create and follow a strategy. Let’s talk about a strategy. What do you mean by this, Harsha, a job search strategy? And why is it important?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, because I think when you’re actually in the job search, sometimes you do get caught up in the whole emotion of it, whether you get the callbacks for interviews or whether you’re successful with an application. But I think if you take it back one step and say to yourself, okay, what are the steps you have to go through? It’s about finding the job, sending the application, hopefully getting the interview, and then the follow-up.

So, I think if you can try and compartmentalize these things. I normally set up a spreadsheet where you put it down. Okay, I’ve reached out to this person. Have they come back to me? Have I got an interview? What is the followup?

And I think having that visualization of the whole process on a spreadsheet, it just breaks it down and makes it much more manageable, and I think it just makes the whole process much easier.

And then you can sometimes see the wins that you’re having; that people are coming back to you, they are linking with you on LinkedIn, you are getting the interviews. So, I think it helps you to reframe your whole mindset and visualize the whole process in a way.

Mac Prichard:

So the steps you described are important, and I like the idea of tracking your progress and seeing the things that you’re doing every day in your job search.

But what about the strategy behind it, Harsha? Tell us more about that. How important, for example, is it to have goals for the job you want or perhaps the employers that you’re most interested in?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, I think goals are very important because, otherwise, it’s a very random process that you’re taking.

So, say if you are looking for jobs in the accounting field. You would start off with the big four accounting firms, and then you would look at the next two below that.

So, I think it is very important to be specific and intentional because, then, you understand what the end goal is. You also understand how you create your narrative or adapt your story to those firms because, clearly, they are looking for a particular type of candidate.

So, you need to look at your experience and try and marshall it and adapt to it in a particular way so that you are as compelling and appealing a candidate as possible.

Mac Prichard:

What happens to a job search that has lots of activity, say sending out a certain number of applications every day, but no strategy behind it, no goal for a position or list of target companies? What’s been your experience when you see someone do all of the activity but not have a strategy?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think that’s a great point because sometimes people mistake activity for actual progress. And I think what is really important is to step back and think, really, to use your time effectively and not just try and go for a scattergun approach. Because I think people think if they’re busy, that’s actually effective, and actually, what is much more important is to really be targeted, and then, use your time wisely because you could end up spending, I don’t know, ten hours a day just sending out random applications. But, actually, is that achieving anything?

But if you’re more targeted, say, two to three hours a day, can actually get you through pretty much what you need to, and then you actually have time to do other things, which is maybe creating content or networking, or other things which can help build your brand and your profile, which might be as equally important for your job search.

Mac Prichard:

Can having a strategy with clear goals help reduce the number of failures that might happen during your job search?

Harsha Boralessa:

Totally. Because then you’re not applying for jobs which aren’t appropriate for you, or you are not applying for things which are outside your skillset. So, I think, really be targeted and really think, okay, what is it that I want to do? Who are the firms that I want to try and get in contact with?

And then, say, you’re on networking sites like LinkedIn, you can try and see, who are the people that work for those companies? What is their profile? What is their skill set? How do I match up to that?

Because, look, filling out an application does take an enormous amount of time if you do it properly. So what you need to do is really be specific and say, okay, I’ve got this amount of time. These are the companies that I’m going to go for. How can I make myself as marketable and employable for this company as possible?

Mac Prichard:

You’ve talked a number of times in this segment about networking, and I know it is something you encourage people to do in order to manage job search failure. Tell us about the outreach you have in mind.

When you talk about networking during a job search, what have you found to be effective, Harsha?

Harsha Boralessa:

Well, so many of the guests on my podcast have come up with this common idea of reaching out to your network because they are the people who know you best, and they are your best advocates. So, say, on LinkedIn, you’ve got your first-order connections. So, if things don’t go well and you lose your job, they’re the people who you should start approaching and saying, look, can I have a quick coffee? Can I have a quick catch-up? Can I talk to you about how things are going?

But the interesting thing about your network is that it’s not normally your first-order connections who provide you with the jobs. It can be the second and third-order people who have either intelligence about a new job opportunity or, just because they’re more removed from you, they know about opportunities that your first-order doesn’t know about.

So it’s really important to, firstly, make sure that people know what it is you’re looking for. But not just reach out to your first order connections, but try and see, is there a way of connecting with those second and third orders. Because I think that’s where sometimes the jobs come from. And from my guests, they say it is really important to do that.

Mac Prichard:

Talk more about how specific you need to be when you’re reaching out to your network, not only your closest contacts but those in, say, your second or third-degree connections on LinkedIn.

Why do you need to be specific when you describe what you want? How can that help you avoid failure in your job search when you’re super specific about what you want?

Harsha Boralessa:

Yeah, I think people have limited time. So, you need to respect people’s time and value people’s time. So, if you are super-specific and say, actually, say, for example, if you see a job in a company where one of your connections works. You can simply say, look, do you know somebody in that department? Is there any way I can maybe have some sort of chat?

And maybe on an informational type basis, clearly, if it’s appropriate. Or does he have any intelligence? So, that’s one potential example of how you can use your network.

But also, say if you are reaching out to people and saying, look, this is what I’m looking for. This is my experience, and really try and use that time wisely with that person. But you just don’t want to waste his or her time because we’re all busy, and most people are pretty helpful. But, I think make it as easy as possible for that person to help you.

Mac Prichard:

Many listeners might be reluctant to reach out to someone they don’t know well or know at all to ask for help. What have you seen work, Harsha, in making requests?

What should people do specifically when contacting someone in their network? Especially perhaps a second or three-degree connection. And what should they ask for when making that request?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think you have to be careful about asking for too much too quickly. So maybe if you don’t know that person too well, you could simply just say, I came across you because you’re connected to so-and-so. Maybe look at the work that they do and say, I like this article you did, or I like this comment you made on social media.

And then, first of all, try and connect. But then, once you’ve made that connection, I think whatever ask you’re making, it should tend to be quite small, to begin with. So, maybe say, I’ve got a couple of questions. Maybe could I email them over to you? Or, if you have five minutes, can I talk about these specific things?

So, I think make it as easy as possible for that other person to help you. And, clearly, don’t ask for a job or some very large favor straightaway because that is not going to come across well to that other person.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a terrific conversation, Harsha. Now, tell us, what’s next for you?

Harsha Boralessa:

Well, I’m trying to continue to build up the podcast and the YouTube channel. So, at the moment, I’ve had over sixty episodes, and you’ve also kindly appeared, Mac. So, really trying to build that up. I’m also potentially trying to start a newsletter in the next few months. So, just to expand my reach and to develop my writing as well.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. I know listeners can learn more about your show by visiting Apple podcasts, where they’ll find Reframe and Reset Your Career, and you also invite listeners to connect with you on LinkedIn, and as always, I hope if they do reach out to you there, they’ll mention they heard you on Find Your Dream Job.

Now, Harsha, given all of the great advice you’ve shared today, what’s the one thing you want a listener to remember about how to manage failure in your job search?

Harsha Boralessa:

I think that the key message is it’s about execution, Mac, and there are lots of theories and ideas out there, which, clearly, are very important.

But I think it’s about, every day, just making sure you do something, and I think there are many listeners who find the job search very hard. They find failure hard, like all people. But I think you’ve just got to keep powering through, keep executing, and hopefully, if you do something, even if it’s very small, every day, that will get you to your goal and, ultimately, your dream job.

Mac Prichard:

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Next week, our guest will be Kristie Steele.

She’s a senior human resources manager at Forth. It’s a nonprofit working to electrify transportation.

Kristie has spent her career at mission-centered organizations. She’s also a Gallup-certified strengths coach.

An interview gives you the chance to show why you’re the right person for the job.

And when you focus on your strengths as you make your case, you’re more confident, energetic, and persuasive.

Join us next Wednesday when Kristie Steele and I talk about how knowing your strengths makes you a stronger candidate.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media.

Our sound engineer is Matt Fiorillo. Ryan Morrison at Podfly Productions edits the show. Dawn Mole creates our transcripts. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.