How To Store Your Job Search Experience In Your Second Brain.

/ Devakumar Sai Chinthala

Introduction

The concept of a “second brain” was popularized by Tiago Forte and introduced to me by my coach, Vamsi Polimetla. We often research daily, utilizing both online and offline resources. Despite the convenience of modern technology, including the internet and mobile phones, we often fail to return to the resources we’ve gathered. The “second brain” concept involves leveraging technology to store your research in a systematic and retrievable way.

It feels like starting over when we Google.

After my layoff episode, in which I received only two hours notice, I had to quickly start searching for my next job. However, companies were laying off employees, and the Fed increased interest rates, making the job search even more challenging. To help with my search, I had to rely on my memory to implement the necessary systems and procedures.

During the initial phase of the post-layoff season, I would search Google daily for “preparing yourself after a layoff,” but the results were always different. This made me wonder if the resources I used one day would be available the next.

It felt like I was starting over every day with new ideas and results. For the first week, I thought I was making progress, but then I realized I was in a hamster wheel of ideas on “how to prepare yourself after a layoff.” That’s when I came up with the idea of storing my research in my second brain.

Store Your Results, Work In Your Second Brain.

Storing your results for future reference is not new, but have you ever referred to your research when needed? I would say 30-40% yes, and the rest is no. After reading the book “Building Your Second Brain” and implementing it for other parts of my life, I wondered why I don’t implement the same for my job search.

I created a list of activities I must perform in my second brain as a project.

Storing Your Experiences Reduces Scarcity Mindset.

I believe storing my own experiences in a format that I can refer to when in need reduces a lot of friction in my mind. Let’s say when you place your car keys at the place where it is supposed to be, it reduces a lot of friction in your mind when you need them.

Looking for a job after a layoff is a unique experience, which we don’t get to experience frequently, nor do we want to experience frequently.

Storing your experiences in a place helps reduce the scarcity mindset and helps grow the abundance mindset.

Make Them as Bedtime Stories For Your Kids.

This is unique to me. My kids want a bedtime story every day from me before they go to bed. They usually give me a few words or a concept on which I have to build a random story that should be engaging and interesting to them. I like to mix “Iron Man” with “Lord Ganesh” to make them understand a concept. I hope you understand where I am going with my experiences.

I made short kids’ versions of the below as bedtime stories;

Conclusion.

As I write this blog post, I have received multiple job offers. However, I want to share my story of the emotional ups and downs I experienced after being laid off. Writing about my experiences has been a journey that may provide comfort and hope to others in similar situations, whether in my age range or family situation.

Finding work, whether a job, a contract, or an opportunity, is like embarking on a journey. Reflecting on how we fared during this time can tell us much about ourselves. We can see our strengths and weaknesses from our experience by reflecting on the process. There’s no greater teacher than our own experience. We only truly remember what we did through muscle memory; everything else is just information.

I enjoyed this process and am grateful to everyone who helped me during this transition. The journey made me stronger and gave me a sense of direction.

What do you think?

Did you have a similar kind of experience? If so, how did you navigate through it?

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