What Passover and Easter Can Teach Us About Our Job Search

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This week is Passover, and this coming Sunday is Easter (in the western churches). I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes use parables from religion. Right now, many job seekers-–those out of work and those working but needing new jobs—are scared. The job market in 2025 is bleak and looking bleaker. (It’s almost as if someone hardened a pharaoh's heart to the plight of the people.) Still, there is hope and guidance as these religious tales remind us.

Easter is about faith, it’s about believing what you may not be able to see with certainty for yourself but choose to accept. In my article How Many Job Rejections Are Too Many? I referenced the Stockdale Paradox. Admiral Stockdale was a prisoner of war. He noted that the prisoners who had no faith struggled in the camps. Surprisingly so did the optimists who were too specific. “The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.” (source) It was the act of having faith, even with uncertainty, that there is a light at the end of tunnel. You need to believe that a new job will come but also must accept that you don’t know when it will be and cannot fully control it.

What you can do is tilt the odds in your favor. Obviously, applying to jobs is one tactic. Also reach out to your network (see my many networking articles for advice on how to do this) and work on building up new skills. I also recommend always having six months living expenses on hand in the bank to help cushion you against this uncertainty. It doesn’t remove it, but it does provide a safety net and that reduces stress when you are waiting for that brighter future.

Speaking of waiting for the future, Passover is the story of the Jewish people who broke free from working for a bad boss (or rather the ancient equivalent, enslavement by a cruel ruler). After freeing themselves from bondage they must wander the desert for forty years before reaching the promised land.

First, remember that the Israelites were enslaved for a long time before being freed. It doesn’t happen overnight; neither does a job change. They also needed the help of Moses. Whether it’s Moses himself, or a career coach, or just a friend, or your network as a whole, it’s ok to ask for help. (Moses, by the way, is my Hebrew name, so maybe for you it’s coming in the form of articles; c.f. another religious parable, that of the drowning man.)

When asked why it took forty years for the Israelites to wander the desert the rabbis teach that the people who fled Egypt would have entered Israel with the mindset of slaves; with that mentality they would have failed. Instead, a new generation, born without the yoke of slavery, was needed to start the new chapter.

Many people have jobs that come with baggage. Whether old processes, bad culture, bosses who want things done a certain way, or other issues, we have a certain mindset associated with our job. When changing jobs, especially if you’re coming from a challenging situation, it’s important to take a little time off to do that mental reset, so you can enter the new role with a clean point of view and minimal baggage that can negatively impact your new role.

Like Christians, you need to have faith in tomorrow. Like the Israelites, you can ask for help and may need to reset before you start your new job. No doubt there are other parables, religious or otherwise, you can apply to your job search. Most importantly, don’t let it get you down. Easier said than done, I know; good luck, and happy Passover and Easter to all who celebrate.

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