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We’ve had a lot of new members join recently (welcome!), many of whom are looking for their next role. With that in mind, we're going to focus this latest newsletter on general job search guidance.
While whole books have been written on finding a new role, here are a few suggestions to get you started:
1. Get clear on why you’re looking and what you’re seeking. Rushing into or through a job search is rarely a good idea. Take the time to do an assessment of your strengths, interests, and values. Write down what you want to be different in your next role. Be as specific as possible on company size, industry, function, and specific role. As our colleague Heather Wilkerson says, this is about going slower now to go faster later.
2. Develop your personal brand and elevator pitch. You need to be able to convey (a) what you’re looking for, (b) why a company should want to hire you, and (c) what you’re able to bring to the table, and. Don’t over-focus on (a) at the expense of (b) and (c). Your pitch should center around why a company would be smart to hire you.
3. Make sure LinkedIn represents you well. As Gayle Draper, one of our PathWise coaches, said just the other day, “LinkedIn is almost more important than your resume now.” You could probably take the word “almost” out of that sentence. Recruiters live on LinkedIn. Job seekers live on LinkedIn. Millions of jobs are listed on LinkedIn. It’s therefore a huge mistake not to use the platform, not to portray yourself as you want to be seen, not to have a network of connections you can tap into, and not to be (professionally) visible on the platform.
4. Applications are necessary but grossly insufficient. At some point, any company interested in hiring you is going to need you to fill out a job application. That’s the necessary part. But relying on just submitting applications and waiting for a response is not going to cut it. You don’t want your application (or resume) going into a huge figurative pile in the recruiter’s email and perhaps not even being seen. You need to stand out. Which brings me to the next point…
5. Work your network…and their networks. Most jobs are found through connections. Make sure your network knows you’re looking. If you’re looking by stealth, do your outreach cautiously, but at least connect with people who you can trust to keep your confidences. Do informational interviews – ones that give you an “in” to companies and roles in which you’re interested. Use these to learn more about what working in the company and in that role is really like. Ask the people with whom you speak who else you should meet and if they can make an introduction. Networking can be painful – especially if you’re an introvert – but it’s a necessity in any well-run job search.
6. Treat your job search like a job. Set goals. Develop a plan, with target dates. Build and keep a list of target companies. Work your plan every day. Give yourself “wins” you can notch along the way. Being organized will help you be efficient with your time and keep you focused, positive, and committed.
These are just a few suggestions. Our team of coaches is well-equipped to give you more extensive, hands-on support for any part of the job search process, from figuring out what you want to do to negotiating an offer. Reach out to info@pathwise.io if you’re interested.
JR Lowry and the PathWise team
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