I have a few friends who are looking for jobs right now. A few of my friends – and from the looks of LinkedIn, about 8 million other people! (*not real data! 😉)
Whether someone is looking for a new job after 10 years of work, 20 years of work, or longer, I’ve noticed a few themes that come up in our conversations consistently. Today I am sharing my top 4 recommendations for anyone navigating a job search.
- Be realistic, but don’t under-sell yourself!
I recently had a conversation with a woman who has 15+ years of working experience, half of which are in teaching and half in curriculum development and professional learning. She is seeking roles in the education field, but is looking at jobs that are not exactly the same thing as she was doing in her last role. She went into the process with the assumption that she would have to take an entry-level salary in any new role. After hearing her state her salary requirements (pretty low for someone with 15 years of experience, IMHO) and using the words “entry-level” a number of times, I asked her “Do you think maybe you are underselling yourself?” Her response came immediately: “Probably.”
Here’s the thing – unless you are completely flipping your career on its head, and I mean like going to work in engineering at NASA after being an actor on Broadway, you bring worthy experience to any position. Don’t undercut yourself before you even start negotiating. Be realistic, of course, but don’t assume you have to take a step back before you go forward.
- Use your network – and if you don’t have a network, spend some time building one.
The job market is rough. You send out tens, maybe even hundreds of cover letters and resumes and hear back from a small percentage of those organizations. Getting an interview seems like it requires a literal act of God. What can help? People. Real human connections.
Invest some time in making connections, talking to new people about what you have been doing, what you want to do, what they do. Meet new people and ask if they know anyone at the organizations you apply to. Having a person flag your application for a position – not even recommending you, just saying “hey, this person applied, can you be sure to give it a look?” – can give you that “in” that you need to start the process.
If you have a chance to participate in networking events, that can be an efficient way to build your network. See this post for some tips on navigating those events!
- Look for culture clues in job postings, and be prepared to ask questions.
Poor organizational culture will kill the passion you have for a new role, even when it’s the perfect role. I wrote about culture clues in job postings last month. Sometimes job descriptions will raise red flags, or promise an idyllic workplace, or sometimes they will be silent on culture. First and foremost, take note of what you see in the posting. And regardless of what you see, don’t stop there. In the interview process, ask questions to press more deeply on what the documents seem to be saying. And don’t just ask the hiring manager; ask every person you talk to. It’s not a foolproof method, but it will increase your chances of knowing what kind of a culture you are walking into.
- Get plenty of rest and take care of yourself.
Job searching is hard work. It is not a restful break in between jobs. For the time being, it IS your job, you just aren’t getting paid for it right now. So treat it as such. Carve out time to be “on” and time to be “off.” Be sure you don’t lose track of whatever keeps you whole and happy. Keep up with whatever habits make you feel good, see friends and family, and focus on your health. Most of all, make sure you have someone to process things with. Job searching can also be a lonely time, so having a friend, a former colleague, or a partner who is willing to talk through the ups and downs of each day will help you get through it.
What other suggestions do you have for those going through this transition? Please share in the comments below – we are better together!
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