Quiet Quitting, Rage Applying, and the Job Hunt: Avoiding These Temptations and Strategizing for Success
Online career spaces have been recently buzzing with the ideas of “quiet quitting” and “rage applying,” as individuals are seeking to make career changes in the wake of pandemic-related workplace shifts. Quiet quitting— doing the bare minimum at work— trended on social media sites for weeks at the end of 2022, and now the concept of rage applying— mass applying for a very wide range of jobs online— is circulating in online career discussion circles, as candidates search for fulfillment in the workplace.
While it can be tempting to engage in these actions when you’re unhappy with your current job, there are certainly more professional and career-benefitting moves you can make to ensure that your job hunt is successful. In today’s blog post, we’ll discuss why these trending career measures are harmful to your professional pursuits, and what you can do instead to make the changes you want.
First, let’s break down the reasons why quiet quitting and rage applying are doing you no favors. Many of us have been there— feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, possibly overworked or under-appreciated in a job. And yes, it can be difficult to maintain maximum effort and stamina in a role that isn’t the right fit. But, those who engage in quiet quitting are forgetting one crucial flaw to the practice: professional references. When applying for a new position, future employers will want to speak with your supervisors. If you’ve been putting in minimal effort and enthusiasm into your job, it’s likely that your boss and even colleagues have noticed— and they could very well mention this to a hiring manager.
When it comes to rage applying, this could end up being even more draining on you than quietly quitting. By not having a clear strategy when applying for positions, you’re setting yourself up for almost inevitable failure; you simply can’t put the required thought and energy into every application when you’re filling out hundreds over the course of a few weeks.
Rather than engaging in these potentially career damaging pursuits, set your sights on preparation and positivity. First, assess your current situation and determine if it truly is time to make a big change. Check out our previous blog post that discusses how to know when it’s time to look for a new job. If you know it’s time to move on, begin the process promptly; don’t drag your feet. Hesitation is a quick way to continued burn out and a spiral into lackadaisical tendencies at work. Create an action plan and determine what types of roles you want to pursue. Then, update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Then, and only then, should you start the actual search. Take time to seek out roles you are not only truly interested in, but ones you are actually qualified for. This will help you avoid over-applying and draining your energy on fruitless application endeavors that lead nowhere.
Gave it some thought and don’t feel quite ready to pursue a new role yet? May we suggest a positive alternative— quiet thriving. The antithesis to quiet quitting, quiet thriving is the idea of changing your mindset at work and putting a refocused effort into sparking creativity and enthusiasm that’s been missing with your current work structure. This can look different for everyone, but it often involves making positive changes within your own control, such as praising your own achievements and setting boundaries between work and home life (something that many employees lost during pandemic-era remote work changes).
Navigating these job market waters is tough, we won’t deny it. But don’t be tempted to take part in these in inadvisable actions. Trust us, they hold the potential to do more harm than good for your professional goals.
