Do you remember that first moment when you made the decision to leave your job? 

How the heavy backpack of “what ifs” lifted from your aching back, the clouds parted, and a sense of giddiness engulfed you like the gentle lapping of the sea.

In honoring your true desire, the cage that you were living in - which felt so tightly locked - collapsed around you, opening your world to a new life. 

But dear one, I know that beyond this expanse of possibilities, there is a new set of fears that make you stumble, uncertainties looming in the distance, and the unwelcome gift from those around us of “shoulds” that tether us to the comfort of what we’ve known. 

As you navigate this labyrinth of discovering what makes your heart sing while nourishing you, you are likely to encounter the swamp of the job hunt slump. 

Like the fire swamp from The Princess Bride, it is in this place that we find eerie silences of employers leaving us cold without acknowledgment, where malicious rodents of unusual size come to feast upon us with false promises, and where we are burned by our own doubts by sudden flames. 

Westley wrestles an ROUS or Rodent of Unusual Size in the Fire Swamp in The Princess Bride

And so, my friend, if you find yourself in this desolate swamp, I am here to offer you a hand out of the quicksand. 

The answers, motivation, and traction you seek are not so far off, but they may not be what you think. 

These are the 3 surprising solutions to your job hunt slump:

1. Take one week off from applying to jobs.

Seriously. Hit pause on applying to any jobs for one week. Don't even search for them. 

Reset. 

Ask yourself: What do I really want? 

Imagine you have a magic wand that you can wave.

Alas, capitalism means that if you're like most people, wishing for no longer working isn't an option. 

But if you could wave that wand to give you your most ideal career situation with all wishes granted, what would you ask for? 

When we're deep in the world of applying to job postings, we start to try to shape ourselves to fit the roles that already exist. We begin to live within limits of possibilities. 

But you are an abundant human, my friend! Don't allow the current (and perceived) needs of an organization shrink you, your aspirations, your dreams, or your joy. 

By returning to the question of "What do I really want?" you reframe your job search to finding the career that fits you (in all your stunning amazingness) rather than what boxes you can squeeze your glorious self into. 

2. Go where your people are. (In other words, stop wasting your time on as*holes.) 

Now that you're back on track with your deepest longing for your career, let's figure out who you most want to hang out with. 

What are the qualities, interests, and behaviors of the people you most love spending time around? 

When you think back on what you really want, who are you with and what are you doing? 

Now, where do those people spend their time? Are they going to conferences? Part of online communities? 

If you find that they're going to conferences that you can't afford, here's a tip:

Ask the organizers about volunteering.

When I was trying to break into corporate social impact, a friend recommended the Social Innovation Summit as a good way to network. But the cost to attend was way more than I could afford with my $30k nonprofit salary.

I asked the conference organizers about ways to attend for less, and they said they could use another volunteer. I felt funny attending as a volunteer with a director title, but I went for it.

I purchased tickets for a $30 round-trip bus ride to DC from New York - my only cost.

When the volunteer organizers started assigning roles, I offered to support the main speakers. The result?

I got to meet the top leaders at the conference. I kept in touch with one of those speakers and within one month, I started an amazing consulting job with him and more than doubled my nonprofit salary.

3. Do something brave today. 

Is there something you want to say? Something you believe deeply in? A creative practice you want to share with the world? 

For most people, the first 5, 10, 15 - even 100 times you do this is deeply uncomfortable. 

Embrace the discomfort and start showing up as the leader you envision yourself being 10 years from now.

What does that future you speak about? Or advocate for? Or create in the world? 

Share one email, a post on Linkedin, a text, or a blog from that future you. 

Don't overthink it. 

This also serves to knock down your perceived limits of what is possible, who you are, and what you are capable of. 

Happy job hunting! 

P.S. If you're ready to accelerate your career change, join me for the Purpose Career Lab, running September 15th-October 20th.

It's a 6-week career transition accelerator for mid-career and senior-level social impact professionals that combines all the most effective job change approaches I use with clients into a group masterclass. 

I'm experimenting with a new pricing offer and guaranteeing that you will add double what you pay for the masterclass to your income within the next 12 months, or I'll pay you back. 🤑

Get the details at https://www.juliafirestonecoaching.com/purpose-career-lab.