Go to Menu How To Start A Job Search
By Nick Corcodilos

If you’re searching for a job, consider this Zen koan, or paradox.

A man sees our Zen hero, Nasrudin, down on his knees groping around in the dirt. "What are you looking for?" asks the man. "My keys," replies Nasrudin. The man kneels down to help search. "Are you sure you lost them in this vicinity?" asks the man. "No, I lost them in my house," says Nasrudin. "Then, why are you looking here?" asks the man. "Because," answers Nasrudin, "the light is better here."

Too often, people search for jobs where the jobs "seem to be", and they adopt the commonly accepted job hunting methods. When you think carefully about what Nasrudin is doing, you’ll find that he’s being both silly and smart. His keys are of course not where he’s searching; but the light is, indeed, better there.

Ask the difficult questions.
Zen koans are intended to make us think; not to provide easy answers. When you start your job search, don’t skip the obvious questions. But, don’t let convention keep you from addressing the difficult ones...

 


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