In turning my focus in my next several blogs to the job seeker, I first want to address one of the biggest issues job seekers face: looking for and landing another job quickly. In my experience, when looking for and landing another job, the biggest misstep job seekers make is not taking the time to do their due diligence. In that way, job seekers and hiring managers have a lot in common! When looking for another job, it is crucial to take the time to do your due diligence, so you don’t end up in a position that’s just as bad or worse than the one you just left.
The first step job seekers should take when looking for a new job is to create a scorecard. To do this, you need to think about and document the following, being as specific as possible:
- Identify what you don’t want in a new job. What don’t you like about your current job? What’s missing?
- Ask yourself what you do you like about your current (or a past) job. What kind of tasks and interactions would you like to be doing on a day-to-day and long-term basis?
- Identify your non-negotiables. What will you absolutely not do and what would make you miserable in the workplace, no matter the salary? What would you absolutely love to do when putting in a fulfilling work week, not considering salary?
Next, think about job title and culture, as well as what the ideal situation for you would look like. Consider things like…
• Job Title: From the standpoint of searching by title, and the roles and responsibilities a position encompasses.
• Company Culture: What kind of culture do you want in a company where you are employed? For example, do you want benefits, the opportunity to work remotely, or a short commute, others with a similar core values and work ethic, etc.?
• Leadership: What kind of manager would you like? The more specific you can be here, the better. For example, if you say something like, “I want a boss that’s not a micromanager,” be sure to define what micromanagement means to you.Is that someone who checks in once a week with you, or one who is checking in on a daily basis?
Taking the time to do your scorecard first means that when you go to interview, you have a way to compare and contrast, i.e. “score,” which jobs actually match your what you are and are not looking for.
After creating your scorecard, the second step you can take to help you land a job more quickly is to reach out to and utilize your network. To do this, first make a list of at least the top 25 people in your network who know others with whom they can network on your behalf, being sure to include their emails and phone numbers. Once you have that information compiled, reach out to them—either via email or with a phone call—to let them know you are starting your job search. When reaching out, ask them, “Do you know anybody who…,” and be specific about what you do and what kind of opportunity and company you are looking for.
Once you have taken this step, it’s time to expand your job search efforts outside your immediate network using LinkedIn. Once on LinkedIn, do the same thing you did with your immediate network, looking for and reaching out to anyone you see (individuals or companies) looking for someone like you, and those who look like they could have what you are looking for as well.
The last piece of your job search efforts, after working your network and LinkedIn, should be utilizing job boards, such as Indeed. Again, using the information you compiled in your scorecard, study what’s on the job boards, contacting only those companies offering what you are looking for, and are also looking for what you offer.
Job seekers, don’t let fear and impatience to find a job quickly force you into making the mistake of not doing your due diligence. By taking the time to think about and document what you really want—your scorecard—then taking that information to compare, contrast and utilize the networks and job outlets available to you, you can quickly find the job you really want.
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