To change jobs, change your mindsets.

Last year, I designed a career coaching program for a top 5 tech company to support underrepresented and underestimated talent break into tech. In the post-survey, 89% of participants rated the program's emphasis on mindsets a 4 or 5 (out of 5).

Five mindsets, adapted from design thinking, can support your job search.

Reframe interpretations

We can reframe failure as learning, anxiety as excitement. Reframing comes in handy for something critical during the job search: networking. Many of us cringe at networking. Instead of viewing networking as icky and transactional, we can reframe it as asking for directions.

If you were lost on the street, you would ask for directions. Why not do the same in your career?

Be curious

Curiosity shows up as another design thinking mindset referenced by the design firm IDEO as empathy. With empathy, you use curiosity to understand someone else's perspective so that you can help to solve problems from their perspective.

How would you approach your application process with the recruiter and hiring manager in mind?

Try stuff

This mindset actually comprises a few: having a bias for action, embracing iteration, and expressing a growth mindset. You want to have a bias for action when it comes to applying to opportunities. You can iterate in how you present yourself through your resume and interviews. You'll stay motivated if you keep a growth mindset throughout the process.

What else would it look like to "try" on this mindset in the job search?

Ask for help

The Stanford design school refers to "radical collaboration" as bringing together individuals with many different backgrounds and perspectives to address a design problem.

In the job search, this means seeking support in a variety of places: friends of friends, online groups, and more.

Show, don't tell

The Stanford d.school phrase means that you can communicate more effectively using visuals, whether that's through prototypes or storytelling.

In an interview, you're telling a story to show why your experience and passion positions you for the role.

How would you use these mindsets in your next job search?