Over the course of the last three weeks, my responsibilities in life have boiled down to career coaching, running, and hanging out with my husband.  I decided to focus this post on my first two responsibilities and how the mindset I’ve developed as a marathon runner has helped me coach clients through an oftentimes stressful, thankless, and frustrating job search process.

Running

I have been a runner since I was 11 years old.  I competed in track and cross country in middle school, high school, and college.  For me, running is not just a wonderful way to stay in shape, it is also an activity that provides me with time to relax and reflect on my life, challenges, and goals.  After my collegiate running career ended in 2008, I turned to marathon training to give me a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  During this time, the United States was going through a recession and I had a difficult time finding employment.  Being unemployed after graduation was honestly the first time in my life that I felt a sense of failure.  Therefore, I was not feeling too good about myself.  Training for a marathon added positivity to my life because it gave me a sense of focus and a goal to pursue.

I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon with the goal of completing the race with a time that would qualify me for the Boston Marathon.  Anything faster than 3:40:59 would have accomplished that goal.  This would mean that I would have to maintain roughly an 8:26 pace for 26.2 miles.  All the way up until the race, this seemed pretty realistic to me.  But when I passed mile 18 on the day of the race, I experienced what many first-time marathon runners learn during their inaugural attempt.  This race is long…longer than it sounds.  Despite the physical shock my body endured for the next 8 miles, I persisted and at the end of that race, I reached my goal.  I completed the marathon in 3:40:56.  This qualified me for the Boston Marathon by 3 seconds.

Since 2008, I’ve completed seven marathons and my time has more or less improved with each trip.  The pinnacle of my marathon career (so far) came 10 years after my first race.  It occurred on the same course but with a different goal.  In 2018, I entered the Philadelphia Marathon with the goal of reaching the finish line in under three hours.  This would necessitate a 6:50 pace for the duration of my race.  On that beautiful November morning, I completed the Philadelphia Marathon in 3:01:27. Although I was 87 seconds away from my goal, I was 39 minutes faster than I was 10 years ago.  A physical representation of how far I had come was unveiled to me as I was approaching mile 23.  I was minutes away from the finish line when I saw the 3:40 pace group.  This group was running in the opposite direction to the turnaround point in Manayunk.  They were about seven miles behind me.

I’m still patiently chasing the goal of running “sub three,” and I am grateful for the mindset I have developed as a marathon runner over the years. I regularly lean on this mindset to coach my clients through an, at times, difficult job search.  My marathon mindset is even more relevant during these days of economic hardship because the job search will undoubtedly resemble more of an endurance race than a sprint.  Marathon running has taught me that remaining patient, persist, and positive throughout training will get me to the finish line.  My marathon mindset, or the “Three Ps”, will also help you put your best foot forward when preparing to reach your professional goals.

Job Searching

Be patient. Getting a job you want is going to take time… A long time… perhaps longer than you deem acceptable. In a marathon, you need to run one mile at a time.  Even with this mentality, you will no doubt be running longer than you want to be running. In a job search, you need to take it one application at a time. Set three goals for this job search. While one goal can be earning your dream job, goals two and three could be attaining jobs that you would be happy with for now. You might have to patiently wait for your dream job to become available, so if you need to accept a job that is “ok for now,” be willing to accept that.  Patiently begin the application process towards each goal.

Be persistent. Now that you have set your goals, make a career “to do” list and persistently check off smaller tasks each day or week. To reach the finish line of a marathon, you have to persistently train every single day because your body needs that time to prepare to go the distance.  Just like your body needs time to prepare, you need time to complete all the little details that are involved in the job search.  Update your professional marketing tools (aka resume, cover letter, LinkedIn), network with your connections, research potential employers, grow your network, and close any gaps in your skills you might be experiencing.  Persistently prepare for your job search so that when you arrive at that starting line (aka the interview) you will come in first.

Be positive. This is easier said than done (especially now). Try to view each step and obstacle on the course with a positive attitude.  If you receive a rejection, reframe it as a learning opportunity. If you apply for a job and don’t hear back, understand people might need time to make hiring a priority. Use this time to make a positive a career change in your life. If you don’t like your current job, make sure that your current job search will not yield the same results as your last search.  Make sure your next job search is for a job you REALLY want. Pursue a job that makes you happy and adds meaning to your life not just money to your bank account. You CAN have both. It’s easy to get down on yourself after a bad workout but you have to maintain a positive attitude to evolve and improve over your baseline. Stay positive during a job search because you have a lot to offer and one day your strengths and skills will be valued by the right employer.

Go after your professional dreams and stay patient, persistent, and positive along the journey.  If you are able to do this, you will no doubt celebrate at the finish line.  If you need assistance with your job search, please email barlowcareercoaching@gmail.com to schedule a consultation.