Have you been laid off, RIF’d or fired? Feeling anxious about the approaching end date for the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP)? Have you been following all the job-search “must do” advice like updating LinkedIn, sending endless applications, networking nonstop, and yet still feel like you’re spinning your wheels? You are not alone. This is where trusting your intuition can become a powerful guide.
In the swirl of other people’s advice, it’s easy to forget to pause and ask yourself: Do I even agree with this? Does this approach feel right to me? Your intuition knows the way forward even if it feels uncertain right now. Learning to trust your intuition can shift not only how you search for your next opportunity, but also how you feel as you do so.
Reclaiming Your Sense of Agency
A layoff, forced resignation, or firing can feel like the rug has been yanked out from under you. Suddenly, your sense of control over your own life feels shaken. If your job search isn’t yielding results, that loss of your sense of agency may deepen.
Mindcluck, the swirl of outside opinions, media noise, your inner critic, and past experiences can obscure your intuition. When that happens, you might think or act out of fear or insecurity rather than from a grounded place of calm and confidence.
Remember, despite the challenges you are facing, you still have free will, and you can still choose. Tuning into and listening to your intuition is a powerful way to restore your sense of agency.
The first step is to start to simply notice what your mind tells you throughout the day, almost like an anthropologist observing your own thoughts. Then ask yourself
• Is this true?
• Do I agree with this?
• Does this serve me well?
You may start to realize that some thoughts, especially those driven by mindcluck, are not relevant to your current situation and only add stress. When you question your thoughts, you engage your intuition. Think of it like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. As your intuition strengthens, you will feel more empowered, and decisions will become easier to make.
Why Trusting Your Intuition Matters in a Job Search
Many of the people I coach through job transitions start with a sense of urgency, feeling like they need to be on LinkedIn at all hours, apply to countless positions, and constantly stay in motion. They carry the belief that if they don’t drive themselves at the fastest possible pace, they won’t find their next job, which only adds to their stress and exhaustion.
While riding this wave of urgency is completely understandable, it can leave
you feeling drained and discouraged. It may also push you toward jobs that aren’t the right fit. By actively following your intuition, the way you search and what you search for shifts toward opportunities that feel more aligned and fulfilling.
How to Use Intuition in Your Search
When you’re surrounded by advice about job searching, endless commentary on the market, and the unraveling of sectors like international development, it’s understandable to find it hard to know what you truly want.
I recommend taking a pause. If you’ve been stuck in a job search, this is a good moment to ask yourself whether you truly want what you’ve been chasing. And if you’re just beginning, it’s worth reflecting on what you really want from work and life. You may discover, or finally allow yourself to admit, that you didn’t actually love the job you lost and that searching for something similar feels uninspiring. Or you might realize this is your chance to follow a dream you’ve set aside, return to school, start your own business, or create a mix of part-time roles that build the life you truly want.
By pausing to reflect and trusting your intuition as you move forward, your search becomes less stressful and more focused on opportunities that genuinely align with you.
As you align your search for your next chapter with your values and with what you truly want from work and life, you will feel empowered and even excited about creating what comes next. You will no longer just be searching. You will be moving with purpose toward a future that reflects who you are and the life you truly want to create.
The Bottom Line on Trusting Your Intuition
Your next chapter does not need to be driven by fear, pressure, or the noise of others. By trusting your intuition, you reclaim your sense of agency and align your search with what matters most to you. In doing so, you will not only find your next opportunity, you will recognize it as the right one when it comes.
Trust Your Intuition and Move Forward
If your job search feels endless and discouraging, this is your chance to reset. Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with me. Together, we’ll cut through the noise and move toward clarity and confidence, and you’ll leave with at least one concrete step you can act on right away.