Why We Invent Simple Explanations

Job searching can make you feel a little superstitious. One person swears a specific resume template got them hired. Someone else says it was the follow-up email. Another is convinced one “brilliant” question in the interview sealed the deal.

But we have to remember: correlation does not equal causation!!!

In this week’s episode, Sarah and Emma unpack the urge to assign a single cause to a complex outcome.

We break down why our brains love to create neat little stories (hello, confirmation bias), especially when so much of the hiring process feels outside our control. We explain why those conclusions are often oversimplified, and sometimes completely wrong.

If you’ve ever gone down a Reddit rabbit hole trying to reverse-engineer someone else’s success, this episode will bring you back to earth in the best way. The truth about landing a job is usually far less sexy than “one weird trick."

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Lulu who bought us a coffee!

“I've been job-searching for 16 months. I've had a good job at managerial level, but wanted to find something closer to home as the commute (1.5hrs each way) was too much with a family. I have been with my employer for 10 years so I was nervous about the recruitment process. I stumbled upon your podcast and listened religiously while driving (benefits of long commute.) Your tips make so much sense, but I would have not thought of them myself. I also really enjoyed your style and there were some LOL moments. I'm happy to say that after more than 15 applications, 4 interviews and 2 offers, I'm about to start a new job much closer to home that I'm very excited about. I used your tips for getting my career story polished, focusing on the best bits in my interview answers, fine tuning my SAR and accepting water at the interview. Thank you so much, you have been fantastic coaches and will miss your podcasts. Until next time!”

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