Here’s the piece of career advice I wish I would have known many years earlier. I wish I would have known this when I graduated from college.

So many times I see women repeat the cycle of applying to jobs and then getting stuck in the same job that they hate.

This is because they don’t understand themselves. If you spend the time to understand yourself better (I know it’s not easy!!) and you figure out your motivations, your personality, your interests, your purpose and your ideal workday, you’ll be so far ahead of the rest!!

This is the number 1 thing you need to do before you even start submitting applications online or considering a career change. The first month of job searching should really be about figuring out who YOU are first instead of just updating your resume and blindly submitting your applications everywhere.

Why should understanding yourself be the very first step of your job search?

This is the one piece of career advice I say over and over again.

 1. You’ll do better on interviews.

What is going to happen is that you are actually going to be better in your interviews because you know yourself better. You’ll be sharing so much information about yourself because you have done the hard work of actually understanding yourself better. You’ll be able to convince the interviewer that your strengths are best for the job and….you’ll get the job.

Yes, it’s that easy. The applicant who knows themselves, their accomplishments, their strengths and their motivations the BEST in the job interview and those same strengths match what the interviewer is looking for….gets the job.

If you are applying for a job that you are really sure is for you, you’ll be able to convince them of that because you understand yourself.

2. You will do better at networking.

When you understand yourself better you can explain yourself better. You’ll be able to give a much more relaxed and authentic elevator pitch and it won’t cause so many issues.  You’ll be able to give a better elevator pitch as well which always causes butterflies in the stomach, right? There won’t be butterflies when you understand yourself better. Doesn’t that sound amazing!!?

And last but not least, one of the MOST important benefits for us women…..

3. You’ll be more successful in your career.

You’ll be more successful in a job that fits you best.

That’s why I am so passionate about this topic of first understanding YOU, then finding that career you were born to do because THEN (and only then) you can succeed in your career, be fulfilled, and be happy.

Sound like a plan? You in?