As the saying goes, "The best time to look for a job is when you don't need one."
Yet a common mistake most job seekers make is that they wait until they need a job to look for one. This puts them into desperation mode where they apply to whatever is out there, make half-hearted attempts to network, and get frustrated with their lack of results.
But, even now in a slow job market, there are specific actions you can take to put yourself in the best position to land a job once things pick back up.
Don't Fall Into The Short-Term Thinking Trap
It is easy to see why most people put off the job search until it becomes necessary. They adopt a short-term view of thinking where because they don't need a job right now, even though they are unhappy and unsatisfied, they don't feel a sense of urgency to look for one.
But what they fail to see is that in order to find their ideal job, they need to prepare themselves well before the actual job search starts. That's where long-term thinking can be a benefit. Considering the average executive-level job search can take 6-9 months, it is to every job seekers benefit to get started well before they need a new job.
Adopt A Long-Term View Of Your Career
The most successful executives adopt a long-term view of their career. They don't start thinking about their next job when they need one. They are consistently and proactively building towards their next job.
They understand that by building and nurturing a strong network organically, building credibility with their peers over time, and researching different opportunities they put themselves in the best position to get their ideal role, rather than settling for whatever they can get.
When you adopt a long-term view of your career, there is no need to wait to start your job search. You can start now and use your time to prepare while you are still employed. And ideally, because you have been laying the groundwork over time, job opportunities will start to come your way through recommendations and referrals rather than you having to chase after them.
5 Elements Of A Job Search Action Plan
1 - Reflect
Most executives feel stuck in their job search because they aren't clear about what they want to do next. They may also feel some internal resistance to starting their job search because they are scared to fail or deal with rejection. It is important to get clarity on what you want and also address the underlying fears or limiting beliefs that have been holding you back.
Questions to help you reflect on what you want and what might be holding you back:
What does success look like to you in your next role?
What do you find unsatisfying about your current role?
What are you good at and enjoy doing?
What problems do you enjoy working on and solving?
What type of culture and environment will you thrive in?
What industries are you most interested in working in?
What negative assumptions do you have about starting your job search?
These questions will help you get clear on the type of role you want and uncover some of the mental blocks that have been holding you back. I find most people get stuck at the beginning of their job search not because they don't know what to do but because they let their fear and self-doubt stop them from taking action.
2 - Connect
Now that you have some clarity on what your ideal role might look like the best way to confirm your ideas would be to talk to people who do what you think you want to do. Remember, the best way to clarify your career direction is to research potential options, evaluate the information, and choose based on what you learn. You don't have to know exactly what you want to do. You just have to be curious enough to get started.
Start by connecting with people you already know, your 1st-degree network. Choose people in the roles you are interested in or ask your network if they can introduce you to someone they know in those roles.
Next, create a list of companies you would want to work for and then use LinkedIn to find people in the roles you are interested in. Connecting with strangers on LinkedIn can feel uncomfortable for some people while others have no problem reaching out to strangers. If you find it uncomfortable, ask yourself why, what assumptions are you making about the other person and what they might say or do.
One of my clients always assumed the worst, he assumed people were too busy, would not want to talk to him, would say no, or would talk about him amongst their colleagues. He had a whole story in his head about why complete strangers would reject him. After coaching him on how to reach out to people, he realized that people would either not respond or they would respond in a positive way. This experience took the sting out of reaching out to people and now he no longer avoids connecting with someone he wants to talk to. His new mantra is "if they say yes, great, and if they say no, I'm no worse off. I just move on to the next one."
Here is a simple LinkedIn invite template you can personalize to your situation. Note there is a 300 character limit:
"Hi ____, I recently came across your profile as I am researching new career options. Your experience as a [insert role] at [name of company] stood out to me. It would be great to connect and learn more about your experience. Your insights would be invaluable to my research. Thanks for considering this request, Best, Mo"
Connecting with people is an effective job search strategy for two reasons. First, as you likely already know, most executives find their roles through their network or through introductions to 2nd-degree connections. In addition, only 20-30% of jobs are posted online, meaning most roles are filled through internal referrals and are never advertised. If you want to increase your chances of getting a job then investing in your relationships and building new ones is the most effective strategy at your disposal.
Second, the reason why you want to have a conversation with someone in your desired role is so that you can learn if you actually want to do that job or work for that company. You are a professional doing research on your next step. It is important for you to gather all the information now so you can make the right decision for your future.
3 - Learn
The whole point of connecting with people is to learn about these roles and companies so you can clarify if this is the right role and right company for you. So what do these learning conversations look like? What questions should you be asking?
First, when you make the request to meet, make it clear that you only want to speak with them for 20 minutes. This way they know what they are getting themselves into. It is long enough for you to get the information you need and short enough where they won't mind giving you the time.
Next, here are a few of my go-to questions to help you have an effective conversation that gets you the information you need.
What do you enjoy about your role?
What parts do you find challenging?
What is something that surprised you about this role?
What interesting problems do you get to work on?
What skills does it take to be successful in this role?
What books, resources, or associations do you recommend for someone interested in this field?
What job search advice do you have for someone interested in this type of role?
Is there anyone else in your network that you recommend I speak with to learn more?
These questions should give you a good starting point to gain some insight into this role and the company so you can discern whether it is right for you or not. You can get a sense of where your skills match up and where you might have some holes in your experience. And assuming the conversation went well, you now have an industry insider who may become a referral source later down the line.
4 - Test
The testing step is critical for career changers but may not be necessary for job seekers who know what they want to do next. Career changers need to test out different career options before they can confidently commit to one. While the learning conversations aka informational interviews will give them lots of great insights and clarity. A mini career test drive will give them the experience to know if a career feels right or not. And at the end of the day, they are looking for a feeling, not a job title, to help them confirm that they are making the right career choice.
A mini career test drive could look like:
Taking a class
Volunteering
Creating a personal project
Shadowing someone on the job
Freelancing or consulting
Really anything that allows them to experience the work so they can get a sense of if they enjoy it or not.
5 - Build
By reflecting, connecting, learning, and testing you should now have a good idea about what you want to do next, why you want to do it, and what gaps in your experience you need to fill so you are a viable candidate. Now you want to think about building your brand and standing out in the job market. How do you increase your visibility and credibility with your potential employers? What actions do you need to take to fill in your experience gaps? What value can you bring to your network so you stay top of mind when they hear about opportunities?
As you can see from the above steps there is a lot that can be done now to ensure you land your ideal role before you need one. I encourage you not to wait for the "right" time and instead start now so that you give yourself the best chance of landing the job you want.
CALL TO ACTION
Join the Career Design LinkedIn Group and get access to more great articles and resources to help you land your ideal role.
If you are interested in working with me to help you land your ideal role then schedule a free consultation at MGC Coaching.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mo Chanmugham, Esq., ACC is a former entertainment lawyer turned executive career coach and the founder of MGC Coaching. He helps ambitious, purpose-driven professionals who are feeling stuck gain the clarity and confidence they need to land their ideal role.