#23 If things are starting to work - don't widen the search
- Mel Fox Dhar
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
One of the trickier moments in a job search looks like this:
Things are finally moving.
Conversations are warmer.
Your name is circulating.
And instead of feeling calm, you start thinking:
“Should I be doing more?”
“Should I broaden this?”
“Am I being too narrow?”
That impulse is understandable.It’s also where a lot of people quietly derail themselves.
The mistake I see at this stage
When early momentum shows up, people often respond by expanding:
More roles
More titles
A looser story
A broader personal brand
It feels proactive.It feels safer.
But more often than not, it does the opposite of what you want.
Why this backfires
The signal you’re sending is already being picked up.
People are starting to recognise:
what to think of you for
where you fit
why they’d bring your name into a conversation
When you suddenly widen the frame, you introduce friction:
mixed messages
diluted referrals
less confidence from the people advocating for you
Momentum doesn’t usually disappear loudly.It fades because the signal gets fuzzier.
This is a doubling-down moment, not a hedging one
If conversations are progressing, your job right now is not to “cover more ground.”
It’s to:
repeat the same clear story
reinforce the same role fit
let familiarity do its work
Consistency is what turns interest into movement.
A simple check to use this week
Ask yourself: What’s already working that I’m tempted to complicate?
If the answer is:
the role you’re leading with
the way people are responding
the kinds of conversations you’re having
—that’s not a cue to expand.That’s a cue to stay the course.
What to do instead
Keep your role focus tight
Resist adding “just in case” options
Let repetition compound trust
This phase can feel oddly uncomfortable - because progress removes the illusion of infinite optionality.
That’s not a problem.That’s how momentum works.