Job search the Randori way – No.9

Randori (translated as “making order out of chaos” or “grasping freedom”) is an ancient eastern art. Typically practiced in a number of forms of martial arts, it revolves around 20 principles to manage 6 factors: Mind, Movement, Body, Purpose, Communication, Environment. We’ve taken a little “poetic license” but have come up with the job seekers Randori, or the translation I really like “making order out of chaos”

Don’t get involved in busy work, stay focused on productive work

Feigning action freezes your position. When you make a decision it must be committed and completed to a conclusion. Anything less than this and your mind will stall.

Job seeking can be emotionally draining and stressful. It’s easy to become distracted from your goals and spend time performing comfortable activities that make you feel secure but don’t help you achieve your end goal. This may create the habit and false impression that activity is equal to progress.

During your job search, even when you’re focused and productive, be careful to always make progress towards your goals and avoid non-effective activities. Effective actions will add value and fit with your overall goal of finding the next piece in your career development. Activity is anything that generates an appearance that “something was done” while moving you no closer to your goal. An example is filing or sorting your papers. The activity distracts you from the more important opportunities that may be available during a job search.

Set your daily actions such that you accomplish constructive and noticeable movement towards your employment goals each day. When you make telephone calls, search for positions or send resumes, ensure that each activity has value and moves you forward. For example, sending resumes to targeted positions increases your possible employment, sending them in a shotgun manner is more activity but less effective. Effective calls are where you add to your network of contacts, obtain leads to possible positions or supporting another person with their search.

With job searching being so stressful, assess your options to find those activities that will make effective contributions. Each has to stand on its own merits: a new contact, an interview, a networking session that increased your information or contact base or taught you a new search technique. Within a brief time you’ll easily discern constructive activity from those that absorb time without any returns. Start forming the habit of focusing on progressive contributions. Making your available time work for you is an investment that pays dividends.

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Other articles in the Randori series: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Greg, an expert Aikido practitioner, had taken these Randori principles and applied them to a business setting, and we thought they applied equally to the job search itself. You can learn more about Randori and Greg at Randorimind.com