Finding Your Next Job
Simple advice that's tricky to get right
I spend most of my time advising companies on how to improve their hiring game but today I’m going to flip the tables and give job seekers (maybe that’s you?) tips on how to find their next job.
My first and most important tip is to be clear-eyed about what you want and how you’re going to evaluate options. Finding a job is going to be emotional and you will find yourself waffling over options. The solution? Build a scoring rubric. This is a scorecard you will fill out for every job you interview for. The key is to make the scorecard beforehand and think about what you value. My scorecard has four equally weighted categories, your categories may be different so you have to do it yourself, but I’m happy to send you mine for inspiration, just DM me.
Second, you must figure out your personal edge. What makes you different what makes you special, what is going to make an employer select you over other qualified applicants. The mistake most people make is to try to just use adjectives to create an edge. “I’m an expert python developer”. But usually, your edge isn’t about how good you are at a generic skill but rather a less-common skill that makes you stand out. Be specific. Maybe you are a highly rated chess player and you use that strategic thinking at work. Great, say that. The goal is to stand out.
Third is to network. Opportunities are going to come to you either inbound or outbound. That is either you will apply to a posting or an employer will just contact you through a referral. Honestly, jobs that find you are always to your advantage. Remember hiring managers have a tough job. If one of your friends vouches for you, that puts you way ahead of the competition. So tell the world that you’re looking for a job, call friends and tell them what you’re looking for. Mobilize your network.
These tips work. But they can be hard to implement because figuring out your edge and what you value are not easy questions. I know for me, I need to talk it out with somebody that knows me and who’s been there. If you want a sounding board, just book me. I do 30 min career coaching on this for free, just as a way to help my network, so happy to have a friendly conversation if that’s useful to you. Use these tips and good luck!