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Key points
- Rage applying occurs when you are so unhappy with your current position that you end up applying for many others in a flurry.
- Before rage applying, calmly determine why you are unhappy with your job and whether you really need to start applying for other jobs.
- Be thoughtful about how and where you apply. Rather than running from your current job, run to the right job.
- Beware of short-term solutions. No matter how much rage you may feel, don't neglect your current job and burn bridges.
Guess what seems to be all the rage now? Something called "rage applying." Yep, the hashtag #rageapplying has been trending on social media. Typically, "rage"-anything may not portray a positive situation; the resulting term can imply that things are a bit out of control and driven by unbridled anger.
Rage applying is not about filling out an application form so that you can order 50 barrels of rage from some online site. Rather, it's when you are so unhappy with your current position that you end up applying for many other new jobs in a flurry. It's a bit more measured variation of "rage quitting," abruptly quitting your job without first lining up another option. Rage quitting can be tempting when you no longer want to feel controlled by your employer.
However, despite the sheer theatrical allure that may earn you one of those slow claps from your coworkers, rage quitting can have significant drawbacks. Once the dust has settled and the initial thrill is gone, you may find yourself without a way of covering that apartment rent, those car payments, or that health insurance. You may find it a lot harder to get a job when you don't already have one.
Therefore, rather than rage quit, some may take a somewhat safer route: rage apply. Rage applying can help you see what's out there and create options. It can also help you break the feeling of being beholden or enslaved by your employer. This can be particularly helpful if your employer is abusive in any way.
Nevertheless, it's not a great idea to be truly driven and governed by rage. After all, you'd probably worry a bit if your barber were to say that he is "rage cutting" your hair or if your electrician were to indicate that she is doing some "rage rewiring" of your house's electrical system. Proceeding in a frenzied, not well-thought-out matter could make your current situation even worse in many ways. So, if you do find yourself with the urge to do some rage applying, first consider doing the following:
1. Take a deep breath and calmly assess your situation. Determine why you are unhappy with your job and whether you really need to start applying for other jobs.
Ask yourself whether you are experiencing just some temporary problems or rough patches at work versus more chronic unfixable ones. Determine whether you might be overreacting to a situation. To see how the better path depends on the situation, let's take a look at two different work situations that I had at two different stages in my career. The first was at a place that we'll call U Suck. Even from the beginning of my employment at U Suck, the leaders there never seemed interested in getting to know me. And when I told one of the leaders what I wanted to do in the future, he responded, "Well, you have to be smart to be able to do that." That prompted me to send out a truckload of job applications. My decision to seek another job turned out to be the right one, although I was a bit too haphazard in my applications. So I ended up in a new position that was not a great fit. But that story is for another day.
My time at a place that we'll call Messla (and, by the way, did not make cars) was different. The leader at Messla also appeared to have little interest in getting to know me. This prompted me to soon send out job applications as well, Except, in this case, it was more like a Big Wheel-load of applications rather than a truckload. At the same time, I kept searching for ways to change my circumstances at Messla and eventually began working with someone in another department whom the leader feared. That gave me more breathing room to do what I wanted to do and made me realize that maybe it wasn't time to leave that job just yet.
2. If you are indeed ready to apply for other jobs, don't be reactive. Instead, be thoughtful about how and where you apply.
Look beyond the allure of sticking it to The Man or The Woman. Don't be a slave to your negative emotions, firing off in random directions, causing more damage than help. Doing so can be very time-consuming, make it difficult to dedicate enough time to each application, and make you look bad should potential employers see your sloppy applications or find out that you are applying everywhere without much discretion. You can also jeopardize your current position should your current employer get wind of what you are doing. Unless you and your employer have an arrangement where you feel comfortable about discussing and considering other positions, you should be careful about where you tread.
Instead, do your research and limit your applications to places that may genuinely match your interests, experience, skills, and expertise. Take your time to make sure that your application is properly tailored to each given opportunity and present yourself to prospective employers in an effective manner. Don't write cover letters that say, "Dear, Fill in the Blank" or "I am very interested in that position that you indicate in the job announcement."
3. Beware of short-term solutions. Rather than running from your current job, run to the right job.
The "anywhere but here" approach to job hunting is not a great approach because not only might other employers smell desperation, you may end up with the wrong kind of job. When you rage apply, the risk is being so anxious to get out of your current situation that you end up running toward the first thing available. You could end up simply swapping one bad situation for another.
4. No matter how much rage you may feel, don't neglect your current job and burn bridges.
Be careful about raging against The Machine indiscriminately. While it's reasonable to stand up for yourself and cut toxic people out of your life forever, beware of taking down the good folks, good relationships, and good things at your current work in the process. Rage shouldn't mean that you burn everything down. Don't do anything that will end up unnecessarily hurting your reputation and opportunities in the future. With jobs as with romantic relationships, you are often measured by how you exit no matter what you did beforehand.
Meanwhile, while speaking to prospective employers, you can be honest about your current situation and reasons for wanting to leave. But indiscriminately criticizing your current employer can make prospective employers wonder whether you someday will do the same to them. Stay classy.
Ultimately, anything rage-related can at most be a short-term solution. Using rage regularly to guide your decision-making could leave you with something else raging—a raging headache of a situation.
