When I was working in outplacement, I had a client who ended up with two lucrative offers at the same time. After he decided which one to claim, we looked back on his entire five month search.
“There were some dark days,” he said. “All of the support you gave me was great. I just wish there had been an 800 number that I could have called when I dropped into despair.”
I’ve never forgotten that comment because it made me realize that I needed to offer emotional support in addition logistical support for my job search clients. It changed the way I work with my clients.
As you navigate your job search, keep in mind some simple yet powerful ideas to stay on track.
Moderate The Amount Of Time You’re Investing
If you are unemployed, you should be spending ~35 hours/week on your search and if you’re employed, you should be spending ~15 hours/week on your search.
Most job seekers fall at one end of the spectrum of time that they put into their search. Many are way over the top, burning themselves out. They snap at people around them. They have an air of desperation and a haunted look in their eyes. They start to make careless mistakes, and they worry that people are avoiding them (which may be true if there’s a cloud of anxiety around them).
At the other end of the spectrum are people who want to devote time to their search, but they find themselves getting drawn into other demands, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and escaping into Netflix and Tumblr.
If you’re outside the suggested range of hours that you’re investing in your search, either in the excessive zone or in the avoidance zone, the cure is the same: first, know that you’re not alone; second, ask yourself what’s at the root of your anxiety; third, get grounded in a routine that moderates the time you invest in your search.
Reach Out And Connect
It’s easy to fall into a habit of scanning job boards and sites for companies and organizations where you want to work. It’s great to have resume and cover letter customization and submission as part of your search. Just don’t make it the entirety of your search.
In order to move forward, you need to be in conversation with people:
Collecting intel about your target organizations
Forging connections with people who will put in a good word for you when an opening becomes available
Establishing your reputation as a powerhouse in your industry
If you’re unemployed, seek to connect with 5-10 people/week, and if you’re employed, strive for a target of 2-3 people. Be genuine in your curiosity about what’s going on with them and allow conversation about your search to naturally arise. People want to help you, but they have to know about your search before they can offer meaningful suggestions and take action on your behalf.
Take Care Of Yourself
Just like my client who yearned for the 800 number, many job seekers neglect their own exercise routines, sleep hygiene, and food planning and preparation. They start to pull away from their families because they’re embarrassed that they’re not getting more traction in their search.
You can’t be effective if you’re depleted.
Your goals matter, and if you’re going to get where you’re hoping to go, you need stamina and support.
Imagine that your energy level is like the water level in a well. If you’re constantly having an outflow of water with your relentless schedule, but you don’t have an inflow with nourishing activities that replenish you, it’s no wonder you’re struggling.
Make a list of activities that refuel you. Include those activities in your daily and weekly routines. Prioritize them. Think of it as refilling your inner well so that you’re charged and ready for your week.
Finally, recognize that a job search is a marathon, not a sprint. Everyone experiences lulls and gets discouraged during the process. Don’t let the dip stop you. You can get back on track if you’re aware of the time you’re investing, you’re connecting with people, and you’re attending to your own self-care.
Career coach Maggie Graham banishes Credential Gremlins in her forthcoming book Skip the Next Degree: Career Change without Debt and Despair. She points mid-career professionals in the direction of their next steps and defines a road map to take them there. Job seekers will find an ally when they seek support for landing their next positions.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.