Take a chance on you

I’m coaching a senior leader in a large firm about her next career move. She’s been quickly headhunted, and as we talked through the role, it became clear she and it were an excellent fit. But when I asked her if she intended to apply, she said ‘no’. I asked her if she thought she was appointable. ‘Yes,’ she said. At that point I managed to leave a dramatic pause so she could hear her own voice, when what I really wanted to do was to use distinctly non-LinkedIn language to ask her ‘why (insert bad words here) not?’.

For a successful, experienced and outwardly confident career professional, her inertia might seem baffling – until you scratch beneath the surface. In my experience, not applying for appointable jobs is a common disease and, as I see it, there are broadly two reasons for it:

1) You're worried you might not get the job
Statistically, you're unlikely to get any job you apply for, and it’s never guaranteed (unless you're the heir to the throne). The prospect of that rejection then casts a long anxiety-inducing shadow, calling into question every career decision you’ve ever made, and every facet of your personality. Most people seem to be world-class at beating themselves up as they perceive a potential rejection not as a reflection of their suitability, but of who they are as a person. So it’s better to not apply and avoid all that heartache.

Mark Twain nearly said: ‘it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it’. And similarly it’s easier to think that it’s better not to apply and be thought unappointable than to apply to prove it.

2) You're worried you might get the job
And then you might be found out. Imposter syndrome is real and rife. It's not just the gradient of the learning curve that’s a worry, it’s what you’ll learn. Will it be skills and experience you need to help you grow into the role, or will you just find out that you weren’t good enough and should never have applied?

Although these two reasons are equal and opposite, they have one thing in common. They both result in clinging on to the status quo, in the belief that it’s the less risky option. But what about weighing up the risk of failing against the guarantee of failing to improve – not just your work experience, but your life experience. That's the essence of embracing change. It might not work. But if you sit on your hands there’s a 100% chance that you won’t be able to add more value, make more of a difference or explore the limits of what you’re capable of achieving.

These things are only possible when you apply for change.

Rich Alderton specialises in Executive coaching and mentoring, so if you're looking to make your next career move call us on 07873 823 800, email us or complete our enquiry form.

And why not download Rich's new e-book here?