I would offer that there are four key questions to ask yourself before embarking on a job search. I would also suggest that they need to be asked in a specific syntax, so that you get the most value from doing this strategic career thinking and ultimately get the best job search outcome. Many people, including me, are naturally tempted to jump straight to the ‘How’ to do something before asking and answering a few key questions in particular. These mirror some of the key questions I go through with Coaching Clients upon starting our work together.
When I say four, there are in fact many more, but I have chunked them into four main headings. Let’s go through them now.
- What? We need a specific target and the more clarity you have around this, the better. So, what is the next job? Perhaps start with thinking about what it is that you want to achieve at this point of your career and chapter of your life. What are the overarching career objectives that flow naturally from what it is that you have been doing so far and reflect your emotional needs and current values? What is your mission and how does your chosen career and job feed into that? Ask what job options you have in front of you and evaluate them against how well each will meet your big picture career objectives. Finally, consider your career trajectory: Why did you get into this business and why are you still in it? What is your eventual destination - broadly - and how will next job will play into that? The skills and experiences that you have acquired so far should provide a path but not, perhaps, limit the possibilities.
- Why? This question seeks to focus you on your motivation. We’ve touched on your mission already so ask why you want this next job. What will it mean to you? How will it benefit you and the ones you love? How will you grow and who will you become when you get this job? You might find the downside more motivating so, what will it cost you should you not succeed? These questions are so important because without a deeply compelling and heartfelt reason, there is a danger that initial enthusiasm fades and efforts become faltering and half-hearted.
- How? Now we are into the nitty gritty, but notice that we didn’t get into the tyranny of how before becoming clear about the what and the why. The How is all about a number of things that need to be right: developing a compelling value proposition, having a great CV and LinkedIn profile, marketing effectively to your chosen audience, knowing and being able to execute on the seven ways to identify and get in front of decision makers, interview techniques and campaign management, which include emotional management. Whilst the How is not the focus of this blog, knowing the mechanics of all this are crucial.
- Who? In my experience of being in Executive Search for 22 years and now as a Career Coach, a successful job search is rarely, if ever, the result of a solo effort. So, knowing who you can reach out to for help is the final critical component. Who in your network - which, of course, you have been continuously serving - can you speak to? Who is going to support you and be with you through thick and thin? Who might become a fellow job searching and accountability buddy? Who can I get high quality coaching from? Who is relevant and highly credible in my area of endeavour, and is willing to give me references and write a Recommendation on my LinkedIn Profile? As you can see, there are a lot of ‘whos’- this is definitely not a solo effort.
Asking, answering - hopefully on paper and not just in your head - and acting on those answers will give you the solid foundations needed for an effective job search. Acting every day with clarity, purpose and intention will not only produce results better and faster but you will also have the sense of certainty that you have really thought this through and have a chart with which to navigate.
If you are on the cusp of embarking on a new job search and would benefit from a Free Coaching Call, schedule a call on our website.
