10 Simple Steps to a Breezy Job Hunt
Beginning a project is always the hardest part. You have to envision it, think about it, feel it, and then break it down into meaningful parts, before you get any traction. What sounds more exhausting than starting a job search? Along with the self-doubt, the fear of rejection, and the pain of realizing you need to change things up, there is also sometimes the very frustrating confusion of not knowing where to begin.
Searching for a better fit is ultimately an investment into your current and future happiness. And the pursuit of happiness, should never be a chore. It should begin with awareness, move forward with joy, and end in contentment.
For those who like a structured approach, here are my suggestions on how to break-down the steps to your next adventure:
1.Know what you want
Write down what makes you happy at work. Look at it and visualize it.
Is being able to see the impact of your daily tasks important? Do you care about what kind of people are on your team (intelligent, collaborative, fun etc)? Perhaps it’s the fantastic array of snacks.
Whatever aspects excite you, note them down, and think about them when you look at job postings and talk to recruiters. Cut out the noise and eliminate options which don’t value the things you value.
2. Know thyself (Write down Resume Points)
Note down all your accomplishments and everything that you do well. Even small things that you have done on a daily basis that counted towards a larger goal, are extremely valuable. What would you want employers to know about you? What special skills set you apart?
Go through all your past yearly reviews, and appraisals from your managers and other peers, and narrow down the feedback you receive consistently. Also know who’d be good references to reach out to, when your new opportunity requests them.
Doing this exercise before you click on the first search, helps you focus on opportunities that you would be the best fit for, and where you could add the most value.
3. Know the Market (Do a preliminary job search)
A preliminary job search should set the anchor for building your story for potential employers. Make a note of the kind of skills that jobs you like are looking for. If some skills require brushing up, now would be a good time. Keywords are important, so note them down from job descriptions, to use not just in your written applications, but also while speaking to recruiters and hiring managers.
The preliminary search will also show you variations in job titles and industry references, which might be different from your current employment.
4. Make your Pitch (Build your resume)
Convert everything you have learnt so far, into a great resume targeted towards the jobs you like. It should be optimized for content by including relevant details and keywords. Keep it crisp, but highlight anything that’s important. It is very important to optimize for visual appeal, as beautiful presentation always leads to positive impact on the viewer.
Make sure to create a couple of different formats if you want to accommodate online services that only accept a small file size, or only .doc formats, or only copy-paste versions which will kill all extra formatting. You can make these special formats, as and when you encounter these scenarios and reuse them later.
5. Sell Yourself (Write a Cover Letter)
Many people assume nobody reads a cover letter, which is simply not true. Some hiring managers may skip it, but if they have to pick between a few impressive looking resumes, the applications that don’t expand on the story in the cover letter, go straight to the bin.
Use your cover letter to tell your story, and sell yourself to a specific position in a specific company. Take the time out to write something non-generic about why the particular company or position excites you. You can add the specific parts later when you attach them to applications — but the template should be ready.
6. Get Organized (Track your applications and appointments)
This might be the most important step in the whole process! If you do this step right, it’ll save you from getting overwhelmed when too many things happen at once. Eventually the details about the interviews and applications will get fuzzy, and it’s helpful to have a written reference somewhere.
Make sure to include information about the company name, job title, link to job, when you applied, where you found the listing, the outcome, who was your contact, all the people you spoke with (along with their names, titles and the date you spoke with them), reasons they declined you or the reason you didn’t want to proceed with them.
If possible, also record your interest level and take other notes when you are conversing with them, to make sure you have a reference if you proceed to the next stage of interviewing.
You can use a spreadsheet, add events to your calendar, or scribble it in a notepad — anything reliable that works for you and something you have access to when you need it.
7. Get Disciplined (Apply to X number of jobs in N days)
Establishing a reasonable cadence for how often you should search for and apply to new jobs helps you keep your sanity. After you make a schedule, make sure you stick to it.
Instead of applying to 50 jobs in one day and then taking a break for 3 weeks, spread out the searching and applying process at regular intervals. This keeps the workload of managing responses and scheduling interviews at a more reasonable pace, and helps you absorb the trends of the kind of jobs that are hiring a little better.
8. Review and Recalibrate (Review progress at regular intervals)
If you did the last two steps well, this part becomes super easy. Once you start tracking your applications at regular intervals, you’ll definitely see what’s working for you, and which parts of the funnel need the most work.
Do most applications reject you right after you apply? The bottleneck in this case would be your resume. Not getting past the recruiter? Perhaps you need to explain your skill set better or make a better pitch to get them excited about you.
This exercise can also help you realize where your best bets are. For example, you might find that one particular job board seems to generally lead you to lower paying jobs, or that you get more responses on a certain version of your resume.
When you have enough data, you’ll be in a better position to fine-tune your applications going forward, to get better results.
9. Research (Know the Compensation Trends)
Never under sell yourself. You are being fair to yourself, and to the company, that won’t hopefully have to deal with an employee who is later resentful for being underpaid.
Do your research and find out your market worth, also factoring in the industry averages as well as your location. It helps set realistic expectations, especially if your current position was out of the ordinary. Glassdoor and Paysa provide plenty of helpful information.
The really crucial part is to be aware of any specifics that you’d like out of an offer. An offer may be made up of many benefits and bonuses — only you can tell what’s actually relevant to you.
A company’s offer of great benefits in lieu of a smaller base pay will mean nothing if the benefits are free meals and childcare — and you have many diet restrictions and are childless.
Many startups offer equity in compensation for a lower pay. In those cases know that you are taking a hit right now, on the potential of something in the future. Will a conservation later valuation justify your back-dated salary loss? Research, and do the math.
10. Negotiate (Like a Boss)
When you find an opportunity you love, and it loves you back, respect the potential new relationship and make an effort to come to a fair deal. Ironing out specifics at an early stage, setting expectations, and being willing to listen as well as being heard is a great way to start.
Some companies offer signing bonuses, stock or relocation packages. The more you know about the specific company and what it offers, the better prepared you’ll be to get a good deal. Almost all companies expect you to negotiate. If they don’t, most likely they will tell you right off the bat. As long as you are polite, and provide well structured thoughts on why you are asking for X and Y, you won’t offend anyone.
If you don’t get what you want in terms of monetary compensation, you can always consider asking for other perks that might matter to you, like telecommuting options or tuition reimbursement.
Always look at the total package before you make your final decision, and don’t be afraid to walk away if it doesn’t suit your needs. Nobody wants to go through the pain of switching jobs, only to be stuck day-dreaming about the next great gig 2 months later.
Hopefully the experience of finding a new opportunity is exciting and insightful. If you approach it with a sense of adventure, it can be joyful and fulfilling. The time you spend is an investment into your future, and who better to invest on, than yourself?
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
