Career Change: Job Search Tips for Introverted Leaders

As we fast approach a new year and a new decade, many people are reflecting on the past 10-years and thinking about what lies ahead. Ready to do something different, for many of you it may be time to move on.

Your current role may no longer challenge you, or you're not getting the promotion you want. Whatever your reason for wanting to make a career change, spend some time planning and positioning yourself for it.

What is it that you want to do? Do you want to find another leadership role, or do you want to do something totally different? Get clear about what it is that you really want, rather than just going for something similar because that is what you've always done

Have you secretly longed to start your own business but never had the chance or the courage to make it happen? Did you fall into your career because that’s what was expected of you, but it doesn’t really light you up? Or do you enjoy being a leader but want a role somewhere else that offers you better prospects?

If you are uncertain about what it is that you want to do, or you want to start a business but aren’t sure how to go about it, send me a message and I'll point you in the right direction. If you're ready for a new leadership challenge or want to climb further up the ladder elsewhere, here are a few tips to help you prepare and position yourself for your next move.

Keep a success folder

It is easy to forget what you have done in the past that you can use to demonstrate your ability when applying for a new role. This is particularly so if you’ve been in your job for several years. By keeping a written record of your successes (what you did, what the outcome was and the difference it made) as and when they happen, makes it easier for you to jog your memory when applying for a new job.

Keep a success folder on your computer and as emails come in praising your achievements, copy them to the folder so you are easily able to access them when needed. When you deliver a successful project or implement a successful change initiative, record what it is that you did and save it in the folder.

Keeping a record of your achievements is also an empowering and motivating reminder of how well you are doing that you can reflect on from time to time. And whilst you’re at it, ask colleagues past and present to give you LinkedIn recommendations.

Raise your profile  

Writing articles and blogs that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise is a great way to raise your profile. Offer solutions to issues faced in your profession, or ideas that demonstrate your innovation. Writing is a good way of demonstrating thought leadership.

For many introverts, writing is good for reflecting and giving a response, something introverts typically like to do. It allows us to go into our heads and express our thoughts and insights

You could start your own blog, write articles for industry specific magazines, or leadership magazines and websites. Even publishing articles here on LinkedIn means your thought leadership can be seen by those whose attention you want to get.

If writing isn’t your thing, record videos of what you have to say. And if you are going to live stream, just as you would when public speaking, make sure you prepare in advance. Because introverts typically like to think and reflect before speaking, unless it is a topic you know inside out, speaking off the cuff on a live stream may not bring out the best of you so be sure to prepare in advance.

Likewise, speaking at industry or professional body member events is another great way to raise your profile. You will also find people want to talk to you after you have spoken, allowing you to expand your network and identify opportunities.

Identify organisations you want to work for

Identify organisations that you want to work for, and when doing so, look for ones that align with your values, and ones that value introversion. Because of misconceptions and unfair bias towards introverts, quiet leaders can often be overlooked in favour of their louder, more outgoing counterparts. As such, identifying organisations that truly value diversity (including diversity of thought) as opposed to just paying it lip service gives you more of a level playing field.

Looking at the LinkedIn company pages of organisations you are interested in, what is the make up of their employees? What do employees say about the organisation on sites such as Glass Door. Connect with employees on LinkedIn, get to know them and find out what the culture of the organisation is like.

Look at jobs the organisations advertise and the kind of language that is used to describe the job and the type of person that they are looking for. Words such as energetic, animated, thinking on their feet are often giveaways that they want someone who is extroverted, even though an extrovert may not necessarily be the best person for the role. 

Network

Some reports say 70%, 80%, even 85% of people got their jobs through networking. Studies have also shown that being in an open network is a big predictor to career success. How open is your network and how well do you tap into it? 

Considering that an estimated 75% of jobs are filled through the hidden job market (vacancies that need filling but are not advertised), networking is a brilliant way to access those vacancies.  

Both offline and online, networking is good for making connections that can make introductions that open doors of opportunity. And don’t just think about formal, organised networking events. Get talking to the people you meet at the gym, at the hairdressers, or other social occasions. You never know who you might meet, or who they may know.

Think about your existing network, colleagues you’ve worked with in the past, friends and family who may have connections at the organisations that you want to work in.

Utilise LinkedIn, identifying people who work at the companies you are interested in working for. If any of your connections work there, or have worked there previously, that’s great. Reach out to them and ask to have a chat so that you can find out more about what the organisation is like and to see if there are any introductions that can be made.

Executive Search

Register with an executive recruiter and raise your visibility so that you come under the radar of head-hunters. Head-hunters are constantly on the look out for ideal candidates for roles they want to fill so make sure that your LinkedIn profile is optimised. Having raised your profile as suggested above, you will be more visible, with a digital footprint that showcases your knowledge and expertise.

You can also set your LinkedIn profile so that head-hunters know you are open to new opportunities. If you’re not sure how to do this, follow the instructions here. If you don’t want your current organisation to know that you are actively seeking a new role, LinkedIn takes care to protect your privacy.

Head-hunters have access to opportunities that you may not ordinarily become aware of, and because they tend to work on commission, they’ll have a keen interest in you getting a job.

By planning and positioning yourself for your next move, you increase the possibility of securing the type of role you want. Start doing the groundwork now so you are ready to make that move in the New Year.

What tactics have you previously carried out when preparing yourself for a new role? Or if there is anything else you would add to this list, please share it below. 

This article is part of LinkedIn's Newsletter series. If you like what you read, please subscribe to get weekly posts like this and more. If you have something interesting to share on the topic or something you'd like me to cover, please let me know.

About Me

I am the Coach for High Achieving Introverted Women, an Executive, Career and Leadership Coach. I help quiet women to thrive as leaders. I also help organisations to get more women and BAMEs into senior leadership roles and provide workshops, training and talks on personal development, career development and leadership development.

If you are a high achieving introverted woman in a senior leadership role, join my group of high achieving introverted senior women here. All other introverted women who are leaders or aspiring leaders can join my group for high achieving introverted women here.