Feeling Lost? Here’s How Astrology Can Help Your Job Hunt

A quick personal story to start us off: I recently found out some news that changed my perspective on the world. I am what the psychology discipline refers to as a “multipotentialite,” defined as someone with many interests, skills, and creative pursuits. Think of it like a modern Renaissance person—interested in and knowledgeable about a smattering of topics and fields.

Why does this matter?

Well upon learning this information, for the first time in my adult life I felt like I was given genuine permission to explore the endless learning avenues, hobbies, and career paths I’ve felt called to. I used to think something was wrong with me; that I was deficient in some way because I didn’t have a singular passion that I pursued so fervently I became a master at it. Instead, I’ve always had a collection of different focuses—professionally, I’ve done everything from executing million-dollar digital advertising campaigns to tutoring eighth grade Spanish—and don’t get me started on my hobbies, which include jewelry-making, abstract painting, and yes, learning about astrology. But instead of celebrating my multitude of passions, for most of my life I believed my varied interests meant I was “lost” and “unfocused.” 

There are two reasons why my identity as a multipotentialite is relevant to this article: First, because it opened my eyes to accepting that I am someone who is naturally interested in a variety of different jobs, and that’s okay—maybe you can relate? And second, I know how overwhelming it can be to look for a job when you’re totally unsure of where to focus or what to pursue. (I bet that’s relatable, too.)

Even if you don’t identify as a multi-p, you might feel a sense of kindred anxiety around what job environment, role, or management style to look for in your own search. Should you turn that side hustle into a full-time gig? Should you abandon the office life in pursuit of something more flexible? Should you go for that high-paying job you’ve been too scared to apply to? Is it time to go back to school?

Refer to your Rising sign when wading through the job process.

Per usual, astrology can save the day. While there is no shortage of content online regarding what types of work might suit someone with your Sun sign—say, a Pisces as a counselor, or a Sagittarius as a travel agent—I want to offer a new and fresh interpretation. Studying your Rising sign, also known as your Ascendant sign (I’ll be using those terms interchangeably in this article) can actually be a smarter place to start.   

Your Rising sign represents how you are seen by world and is typically responsible for the 'read' people get on you until they know you in a more intimate fashion. For this reason, most of your coworkers (unless you're suuuuper tight with them) probably know your Ascendant side more so than your Sun sign side. That’s why looking for environments and roles that satisfy your Rising sign's needs is a better way to master your job hunt and match yourself to your ideal workspace, since that’s the side of you that’s typically out to play when you’re employed.  

Get friendly with your Rising sign and learn all about its qualities, strengths, proclivities, and weaknesses. And when you’re ready to take a more tangible step towards finding a job that’s right for you, try my Celestial Job Search method below that uses process of elimination and simple matching techniques to pair you with your next venture.

Here’s how to get started:

1. List out every job (and I mean EVERY job) you’re interested in.

It can often feel like there’s a whole sea—nay, a tidal wave—of options out there when it comes to your career. And trust me, I know that can feel maddening. The first step is to get all of that chaos out of your head and onto the paper. As an initial step, write down every possible job you’re intrigued by. The list can be done regarding different career paths (i.e. nurse, podcaster, photographer) or it can be done with different but specific job titles if you’re farther along in your search (i.e. Marketing Associate at Google, Advertising Coordinator at Microsoft, Account Strategist at Facebook). This is not the stage to judge anything that comes up or fail to write something down out of fear you’re not suited to it. Consider step one the ‘word vomit’ section, so write down anything and everything of potential interest.

For the purposes of this article, I’ll use the various career paths I’ve ever been interested in as an example for how to apply this method. I highly suggest physically writing each of these steps down on a piece of paper vs. typing them out on your computer. (Studies show that writing things down by hand greatly improves mental processing skills—and we definitely need ‘em here.)

2. Pull together your Rising sign’s top traits.

In a separate section, list out all of the qualities your Rising sign is known for. (Websites like this one and this one are good places to start.) For example, I am a Taurus rising; Tauruses are known for their dependability and steady pace, and as a pleasure-seeking sign, they are their healthiest and most vibrant selves in environments that provide aesthetically pleasing elements and comfort. Additionally, Tauruses are known for their proclivity towards luxury—as a result, they function best when they have an abundant and stable source of income. 

Make sure to list all of the traits you identify with, even if they don’t initially appear to be job-related.

3. Get scratch-happy.

Using the details you’ve collected about your Rising sign and what you know about each of the careers/roles you’ve listed, start scratching out anything that does not match. For example, you’ll see I was able to cross out* several jobs on the list that did not meet any or most of my Taurean Rising traits.  

*Note: I aimed to cross out jobs that weren’t particularly stable, lucrative, or associated with nice, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing environments, as those seemed to be the most important qualities to my Rising sign.

4. Time to turn this into data.

The next step is what I like to call the REM Needs Table—Role, Environment, Management. This step helps to illuminate what your Ascendant sign needs when it comes to the role itself, the environment in which it takes place, and the management style usually associated with it.

Create a column each for Role Needs, Environment Needs, and Management (Style) Needs. List out several traits that would suit your Rising sign’s desires within each relevant column. For example, in the “Role” column I’ve listed needs for a Taurus Rising such as: structured role, clear responsibilities, and need to be making above $XYZ to suit my lifestyle.

In the following rows, now I can simply mark which jobs meet my outlined needs according to what I’ve listed in the table. This is an important narrowing step that uses basic data but offers unbeatable clarity.

As you’ll note above, the only jobs that satisfied every column in my table were “Digital Marketing/Advertising at a tech company” and “Staff Writer/Editor at a tech company.” Amazingly, this system aided me in narrowing my search from 13 initial jobs down to 2. From this place, it’s much easier to make a transparent decision knowing that the stars are on my side.

I also learned throughout this process that regardless of which path I choose, I should be aiming to work at a big tech company, as that satisfies many of my material and environmental needs as a Taurus Rising.

5. Craving more clarity? Repeat with your Sun sign.

As a final step, if you have more than one or two jobs left on your list or you’re hoping for further celestially-guided direction, now you can turn to your Sun sign. Repeat steps 2-4 using qualities of your Sun sign against the remaining few jobs. Whatever prevails through round two should be your most ideal work path(s).

Whether this method helps you secure a job, clarifies where you should place your focus, or just aids you in learning more about your Ascendant sign, there’s always value in becoming more self-aware and introspective. Astrology is a beautiful tool we have the pleasure of using to better ourselves in all areas of our life, and our career path or life’s purpose is no exception. If this method helps you wade through some of your career confusion or even secure your dream job, don’t forget to comment below and let me know!

P.S. If you’re feeling super stressed by the job-hunting process and need some respite, read my article on astrology-based self-care to nurture yourself back from burnout in no time.

– Lauren Rubin

First photo courtesy of Lauren Rubin