"Try harder" Isn't a Strategy (Think Like a CEO instead) | #161

If your job search, career strategy, or even job interview preparation has started to feel like one long cycle of “try harder,” you’re not alone. Many professionals push through their career goals with more effort, more applications, and more pressure - hoping momentum will eventually appear. But when progress stalls, the real shift isn’t usually effort. It’s perspective. So take a pause and think: what if you stepped back and looked at your career the way a CEO looks at a company? Not reacting to every bump in the job search, but zooming out to assess the strategy, the direction, and the decisions that will shape the next five or ten years. Because the truth is, you’re not just a job seeker. You’re the CEO of a company of one. And the way you invest in your career growth - your skills, your direction, and your strategic decisions - determines far more than the next offer. Let's get clear on that mindset in this episode and start paving the way for your growth today.   You’ll learn: ✔ Why “trying harder” often keeps your job search stuck ✔ How to think about your career like a CEO leading a company ✔ The role of strategy in long-term career growth ✔ Why high-leverage decisions matter more than constant activity ✔ How investing in yourself changes more than just your next offer   Links in this episode: Connect with Me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmortega/ Get immediate clarity with The Career & Brand Strategy Intensive: https://www.theuncommoncareer.com/intensive     ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Cut 3 months off your job search in 90 minutes (start here) Create a clear brand & job search strategy that cuts 3 months off your search: https://theuncommoncareer.com/intensive     Learn our 5-step job search strategy: https://theuncommoncareer.com/process Connect with me on LinkedIn (let me know you're from the podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmortega/                 . . . . . . _____________________ Patricia Ortega is known for coaching clients to a strategic, emotionally intelligent approach to job searching that emphasizes clarity over activity, quality over quantity, and positioning over bragging. She helps mid-career professionals rise above crowded applicant pools and land aligned roles faster by combining three core areas: 1) Clear branding and messaging, 2) job search strategy, and 3) Identity, Confidence, and Emotional Intelligence Under Pressure. She operates from a Christian, biblical worldview. She believes excellence and integrity can coexist, and you don’t have to exaggerate or compromise who you are to compete at a high level. Learn more at https://theuncommoncareer.com.             .