𝗪𝗵𝘆 "𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲" 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱

Three months ago, I was convinced I was just bad at job hunting.

Like, genuinely thought something was wrong with me.

Turns out? I was just searching like it was 2015.

Let me tell you about the day I realized "jobs near me" was actually sabotaging my entire career.

𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀

Let me paint you a picture of my lowest moment.

I read another rejection email, and I started full-on spiraling.

And then my phone died.

Just a black screen.

And I'm sitting there in this random parking lot, and for the first time in months, I wasn't looking at job postings. I was just... thinking.

When I started really thinking about how I'd been applying to jobs.

Guess what? Every single application started the same way: open Google, type "jobs near me," and apply to anything that didn't require a PhD.

And then it hit me like a truck: I wasn't applying to jobs I wanted. I was applying to jobs that happened to exist within driving distance.

That's... not the same thing at all.

It's giving major "settling for whoever's at the same party instead of actually finding someone compatible" energy.

And we all know how that usually goes.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 "𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲" (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲)

Look, I'm not gonna to pretend I don't get the logic. When you're job hunting, you're usually in one of these moods:

𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲.

Your savings account is looking tragic, your parents keep asking about your "career plans," and you need literally anything that pays actual money.

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹.

There are approximately 47 million jobs on the internet, and choosing what to apply for feels harder than picking what to watch on Netflix (and that's saying something).

𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.

Everyone told you to "look local," so you look local. It feels safe and logical and like you're following the rules.

And honestly? Sometimes, location actually matters. Like if you're juggling school, family stuff, or multiple side hustles, a brutal commute can absolutely ruin an otherwise decent gig. If you don't have a car or remote work isn't realistic, "close to home" isn't just nice, it's survival.

But here's the thing that took me way too long to figure out: starting with location is like choosing your college major based on which building is closest to the parking lot. Sure, convenience matters, but you're gonna be miserable if that's your main criteria.

𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵… 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲

"Jobs near me" tells you exactly one thing: how long your commute will be.

That's it.

That's literally all the information you get.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀

It won't tell you if you'll actually be good at the work or if you'll spend eight hours a day questioning your life choices. It won't tell you if your manager is the type who respects work-life balance or if they think "urgently need this by EOD" is an appropriate thing to text at 10 pm on a Sunday.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

It definitely won't tell you if the company culture is "we're a family" (red flag) or actually supportive, or if this job is gonna help you build skills you care about or just fill time until something better comes along.

That's how I ended up applying to a bunch of random jobs that happened to be nearby and wondering why I felt dead inside just reading the job descriptions.

Turns out, proximity doesn't equal compatibility. Who knew?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁

Here's where it gets interesting, though.

While searching by location first is kind of backwards, actually being near your workplace can legitimately help your career… if it's the right job.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝗻-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

You know how you probably go to the coffee shop down the street even though it's not your favorite, just because it's convenient? That's basically proximity bias in action. We naturally favor what's close and easy to access.

With companies pushing people back into offices, this bias is very real in workplaces. The people who show up in person tend to get better projects, more face time with leadership, and faster promotions. It's not fair, but it's reality.

Think of it like the group chat effect: You're more likely to get invited to plans if you're active in the main group chat, not just the side conversations.

Being physically present at work is like being in that main chat: you're where the decisions happen.

It's not fair, but it's reality.

So being close to a job you actually want? That's playing the game smart.

Being close to a job you hate? That's just being stuck with good parking while you slowly lose your mind.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁

This is the part that felt like a complete revelation to me, and also made me slightly angry that no one explains this anywhere:

• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝘆. I'm not asking you to find your "passion" or figure out your life's purpose. Just think about what kind of work you can do without feeling like you're dying a slow death inside.

• 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. Micromanaging. Toxic positivity. Being expected to "wear many hats" (corporate speak for "we're understaffed and that's your problem now"). Whatever makes you want to fake your own death to avoid work, decide right now you won't accept it again.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. You don’t have to have your entire life plan figured out… maybe just think about what you want within the next two years. What skills do you want to actually use? What would make you feel proud when people ask what you do?

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Once you know what kind of work and workplace you're looking for, you can make smart decisions about commute time, remote options, or whether a particular opportunity is worth traveling for.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

Instead of starting with your zip code, try this:

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. This doesn't have to be profound. "Work that doesn't give me the Sunday scaries" is a perfectly valid starting point.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. Yeah, I. know what you’re thinking. Applying for jobs is already a lot of work and now I’m asking you to do even more. But how else are you supposed to find organizations that do work you care about? With cultures that don't make your skin crawl? Look at their social media, read employee reviews, see if their values sound like actual values or just marketing nonsense.

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀. Reach out to people doing work that seems interesting. Not to ask for jobs, but to understand what they actually do and how they got there. Most people will give you 15 minutes if you ask thoughtfully.

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. Instead of applying to everything within a reasonable commute, apply to fewer roles that actually align with what you want. Your application rate will go down, but your response rate will probably go up because you'll sound like you know why you want the job.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

The job market is chaos right now.

Everyone's mass applying, A̲I̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲c̲h̲a̲n̲gi̲n̲g ̲e̲v̲e̲r̲yt̲h̲i̲n̲g, and the rules seem to shift constantly.

But here's what hasn't changed: good employers still need people who can solve problems, work well with others, and add real value to their teams.

The difference is that they're being more intentional about finding the right fit.

That's actually good news for you, because it means the companies worth working for aren't impressed by "I live nearby." They want people who understand what they're looking for and can explain why they want it.

𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Before your next job search, sit with these for a minute:

• What would make you excited to talk about your job instead of just complaining about it?

• What kind of manager brings out your best work versus what kind makes you want to hide?

• What would you need to feel proud of your work, not just grateful to have a job?

• What are you absolutely not willing to put up with again?

These aren't easy questions, and you don't need perfect answers. But having some sense of what you want makes everything else, including 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 you're willing to work, much clearer.

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 “𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲”?

Yes, it’s okay to search “jobs near me,” but only as a starting point. That search shows location, not job quality, culture, or growth. Use it with other filters for better results.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 “𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲” 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀?

“Jobs near me” doesn’t work for good jobs because proximity doesn’t equal compatibility. It ignores culture, growth, and job fit, so people often land convenient roles but feel unfulfilled.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀?

When looking for jobs, search with skills and interests first, then add location. Example: “entry-level design remote,” or “customer service growth opportunities near me.” This connects goals with geography.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘁?

To find a local job that fits, start with your needs:

1. Figure out whether you’ll actually vibe with the work

2. Define deal-breakers

3. Research local companies

4. Apply only where values align

𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀?

Yes, location still matters for career success. Being near your workplace can lead to promotions and opportunities, but it should complement job fit and growth, not replace them.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀?

The best way to search for jobs is:

1. Clarify your career goals

2. Research companies, not just postings

3. Network with professionals

4. Apply intentionally, not everywhere

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆?

Improve your job search strategy by focusing on quality over quantity. Research employers, define deal-breakers, network, and apply strategically. Fewer, targeted applications usually lead to more interviews and offers.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱?

You may not be getting hired because your search strategy is too broad or misaligned. Focus on jobs that fit your skills, values, and goals, not just what’s nearby.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Before job searching, ask yourself:

1. What work energizes me?

2. What manager style helps me succeed?

3. What values matter most?

4. What are my deal-breakers?

5. What skills do I want to build?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀

T̲h̲e̲ ̲jo̲b̲ ̲s̲e̲a̲r̲c̲h̲ ̲s̲ys̲t̲e̲m̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲f̲a̲i̲l̲i̲n̲g ̲pr̲o̲f̲e̲s̲s̲i̲o̲n̲a̲l̲s̲.̲

"Jobs near me" isn't necessarily wrong, but it's definitely incomplete.

Your next job is gonna take up most of your waking hours for however long you're there. Choosing it based primarily on driving distance is like choosing where to live based solely on the zip code.

You deserve work that fits your actual life, your goals, your values, and your need to not feel miserable for 40+ hours a week. Geography can be one factor in that decision, but it shouldn't be the first or only factor.

Start by figuring out what kind of work and workplace would actually work for you. The commute can come later.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿? Jema helps you figure out what you actually want from work, not just what's within driving distance. Because you deserve a job that fits your life, not just your zip code.

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