***Three Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search in 2014

Yes, there are a zillion articles on how to find a job, write the best resume, etc. This article is about something you may not have considered before — how to look for a job from the inside out.

Being out of work, finding a job and/or working a job you hate can cause a ton of stress in your life, not to mention angry, anxiety, worry and a host of other emotions. I've been there numerous times, and have experienced the feeling of being both helpless and worthless. And I would inevitably say, “why me? I’m a good person!” or something similar.

The fact is economies ebb and flow, and jobs aren't necessarily guaranteed for life. At the very least, society and technology are constantly changing. For example, if you had a job making 3 1/2” floppy diskettes (do you even know what that is?) you would be out of work thanks to the Internet and flash drives. Likewise if you specialized in building typewriters or selling Plymouth automobiles.

In other words, jobs come and go. That means when looking for a job (or thinking of switching jobs) it is crucial you look beyond the job itself. Here are three quick tips to point you in the right direction:

1) First, it’s important to examine ALL your emotions and feelings around the job issue. Yes, you’re probably depressed and maybe even angry. But look at everything you are feeling — everything. A lot of feelings and emotions may not actually be about the job issue itself. For example, while you certainly miss the income, maybe the real loss is that all your coworkers were also your friends. Or maybe the reverse is happening. While you might be stressed about money you might be relieved that you no longer have the job since you always hated it or hated the people you worked with. Advice? Write down everything you are feeling and then you can find out where these emotions are really coming from.

2) Second, you need to look at job hunting (and career planning) from a flow perspective. Flow is your true insides, what makes you your most successful. Through flow you are able to understand what you are REALLY about. When you understand your flow, your true life’s purpose, you are able to make rational choices that save you time, money and frustration. Result? Your job search is substantially more effective, mainly because you only pursue opportunities that will prove successful.

3) You and your job must ultimately align. Yes, if you’ve been out of work for a while it’s probably best to take the first good offer. But in the long run you’ve got to love what you do for a living. After all, you’re going to spend at least a third of your life at it. It’s important to think of your job as an extension of yourself rather than just a paycheck. If you do so every aspect of your life will mesh. No longer will you come home angry, depressed, or worse.