Lessons from 2023, the surfer mentality, and work spouses (yep - it's a full house)

Welcome to my final issue of 2023. It’s definitely been a roller coaster of a year, but I'm glad I’ve been able to keep this newsletter going for this long.

JSG started off the year with zero subscribers and we’re ending it almost 1200. I’m not a professional creator by any means, so I appreciate it if you stuck around to read my content.

This week, I came across a few interesting ideas I wanted to end the year with. I hope you find them both useful and interesting.

Three lessons from 2023 that will help you 2024

It’s a tough market - bring your A-game

I talk with job seekers every week. Some employed, some not.

One thing I’m seeing is that people are being stretched past their comfort zones. Directors are applying for manager roles. Managers are applying for individual contributor roles. And individual contributors are applying to individual contributor roles.

The market is crowded at all seniority levels. I even saw one tweet that claimed LinkedIn applications were getting 7K+ applications.

That means whatever your job, field, or industry, you better be ready to give it your all. In 2021 and earlier, you could have just showed up to an interview and some companies would have been prepared to offer you the job. Now? Not a chance. You’ll need to really know the company and title you’re applying for, create a killer resume, dial in your elevator pitch, and be prepared for those tough interview questions.

Those with business development skills will do best

If you’ve ever been in biz dev, you know it can involve a sh** ton of cold calling, doors slammed in your face, phones hung up, and just flat out rejections.

The good thing is that after doing it for a while, you develop thick skin so it doesn’t bother you anymore, because it’s just a numbers game.

Now let’s apply those ideas to job searching. Before, you could do fine by just applying online, but that’s long gone.

Today, if you’re not reaching out to total strangers, you’re not making it. Plain and simple. Will there be rejection? Yes, absolutely. But just like sales, it’s a numbers game. All it takes is one person to vouch for you or offer to put your name through.

Some skills you should freshen up on are how to find potential referrals, writing a cold email, building and developing your online brand, reaching out to talent agencies, and how to find jobs that may not be advertised publicly.

If you’re getting nowhere with your job search, try something different

I spoke to someone last week that said they had applied to over 1000 jobs over the course of a year and hear back from less than 10, none of which resulted in offers.

If this is you, have you considered approaching your old company/boss and asking for a job?

Some of you might be thinking “no way”, but hear me out: It’s familiar territory for both sides. You know the company and they know you.

From your perspective, you know the culture, management style, expectations, and the work itself. No surprises.

From their perspective, they know how you work and so they won’t have to retrain you.

It could be a good situation for both parties.

The surfer mentality

I came across an idea in Sahil Bloom’s newsletter called ‘The Surfer Mentality’. It goes like this:

It’s about embracing the present moment and finding joy in it, much like a surfer enjoys riding a wave, fully aware that it will eventually stop.

This mentality acknowledges that life, like the ocean, continuously offers new opportunities. Surfers understand that not every wave needs to be pursued; they choose their moments wisely.

A good portion of a surfer’s time is dedicated to patiently waiting and positioning themselves for the right opportunity, recognizing that this preparation is crucial.

Surfers know the importance of being actively engaged in the pursuit, understanding that opportunities are seized in the midst of action, not from the sidelines.

Can this idea be applied to your career?

Absolutely. Two ways that this mentality can be applied to the job search:

• You don’t need to chase every opportunity. Just like the surfer doesn’t chase every single wave because they know there’s always more out there, you as a job seeker don’t need to chase every posting that you come across. Be selective and strategic with what you apply to - choose the opportunities that match your criteria.

• On the same note, just as a surfer knows that the only way to ride the wave is to put themselves out there, you as a job seeker should be proactive in your search. This could mean working on your LinkedIn game or making a point to contact a certain number of cold leads a week. If you don’t put yourself out there, you’ll never get the opportunity.

Have you ever had a work spouse?

Someone recently shared a story with me on how they crossed a line with their work spouse.

You see, this person was married, and so was the coworker. And what started out as innocent bickering evolved into a deep emotional connection over the course of several months, with late night conversations that extended well past midnight.

As you can imagine, this was to the displeasure of both of their real spouses and while nothing physical became of it, the emotional connection was just as hurtful.

The whole thing boiled over when the real spouses voiced their concern and demanded that the thing stop, which it did. A line was crossed though.

This got me thinking. We’re all human, but at what point is a work relationship considered to have crossed a line? What are the boundaries?

For some, the work relationship stays at work. No communication outside of the office and nothing that might be misconstrued as flirting. For others, it’s a bit more lax.

What are your thoughts?

And with that, JSG 2023 is wrapped up. I hope you enjoyed reading - if so, I’d love to hear about your ideas for 2024.

Best of luck with all your endeavours and a happy new year to you and your loved ones.

— James Cooper

What topics do you want to see me cover in future newsletters?

I’d love to hear from you - let me know if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover.