Creating Search-Life Balance
I have had the pleasure of connecting and reconnecting with some amazing professionals recently, and most especially over the course of the last week. I've received many supportive messages, comments, texts, and calls from colleagues and friends in response to the article I wrote on LinkedIn last week (see that here).
I've received feedback on how others can relate to the? experience that I shared, how it was like I had typed their own thoughts, and how they appreciated my ideas around positivism and the lens of opportunity. I even received a couple of notes encouraging me to write more frequently (so you have them to blame for this one).
The posts and texts were amazing, but I really enjoyed hearing the voices of friends and colleagues with whom I'd become disconnected over the years. Most had built impressive careers in hospitality, specifically hotels, travel, and events. I heard their stories of resilience, of rebirth in a new line of work, the small businesses they had started, and yes, some cautionary tales, too, about how bad things can get.?
One of the things that has come up time after time in those conversations and something I have had to really work hard to manage myself is how to create and keep balance between the job search and the rest of my life. Like work, if I am not thoughtful about my intentions and time, the job search can become all-consuming and bleed into areas where it doesn't belong.
You can likely get more scientific advice from the recruiters and talent pros here on LinkedIn. But after months of my own search, I thought I would share some things that I've learned over time that have enabled more productive results and better search-life balance:
Note: Like nearly everything worthwhile in life, these items are much easier said than done. It's not knowing these things, which are rather intuitive, but the steps toward consistent execution, which I hope you will find helpful.
Quality over Quantity.?Everything that I choose to do has an opportunity cost. My choices also impact others. I have tried to use this perspective to limit the positions to which I apply to those where I am truly a fit and honestly interested in doing that particular work. My test on my qualification to apply for a role includes:
Sometimes things are clearly not a fit and I keep scrolling. I've learned that's a gift.
Other times when researching an opportunity, when I ask myself these questions, the answers are non-binary and instead exist on a scale. "That job is in a new industry for me, but it's similar to work I've done leading sales teams." Or, regarding the organization, "I've read and heard good things, but having come from a high growth environment with frequent change, how will I adapt to lead in a more large, more established org?" These can be more considerations than qualifiers if the other boxes are checked.
Some answers to my qualifying questions may not be available until the conversation begins, such as compensation or details about the nature of the work or team. I aim to get alignment on anything that could quickly disqualify early in the conversation, just as a recruiter is doing with me, to save everyone's valuable time.
The days of first discussing compensation, specifically salary, at the end of the interview process or when I receive an offer letter should be history.
I applaud those organizations that list their salary ranges in the job description and those recruiters who work to have a conversation around ranges early in the process. Similarly, as a candidate I need to know my range and have the confidence to share that early in the conversations, if the recruiter or hiring manager hasn't done so.
Short, sweet and with a hard stop at the end: "My target range for this role is $_____; does that align with the stated budget?" (I'm a sales leader, so I would state both a base salary and an OTE - on track earnings - number that includes sales incentives).
If you're applying to the right types of roles, you'll be in the ballpark more often than not. If you're getting "no" frequently, reexamine the role types or organizations to which you are applying and reevaluate your expectations - both healthy reflections to have regularly as you journey through you search.
There have been situations where I have continued the conversation when my target salary was higher than a prospective employer's budget for the role because the other three qualifiers were emphatic yeses and made it a truly special opportunity. This was the case when I went to I went to my last organization. I had an initial pay cut, but it was totally worth it given the overall experience and the opportunity for earned promotions.
The point here is that time is limited, yours and recruiters'. Be surgical and go deep on the opportunities that are the right fit; casting a wide net dilutes your effort and does not help anyone.
Scheduling Your Search. When I was first laid off, I enjoyed the sorely needed downtime. It was at the end of last year. There was an already-planned family vacation. We traveled internationally, enjoyed local customs and food, and spent nearly all of our time outdoors. The lack of a need to “check in” was so refreshing. It was the first time I was completely present and disconnected on a vacation in years. Then the winter holidays came and they, too, were special because they were more relaxed than usual.?
After recharging the batteries and enjoying the holidays, come mid-Q1, I was ready to find my next role. Really ready. So I started look for my next job. ALL. THE. TIME. Company website and careers pages. Indeed.com. And I looked at my LinkedIn feed how my kids look at Tik Tok.
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It was a numbing experience. I scrolled so much on LinkedIn that I am convinced I arrived at the end of the feed - there was literally nothing new to read. But I still scrolled. It took me a little time to recognize what I was doing and that it was neither healthy nor productive toward finding my next job.
I needed to take back some control in the job search. One way to do that would be by creating a search schedule each week. One example of a schedule I have used is to block time each day for specific tasks:
If it's a short week, I'll sometimes do a mini version of this schedule in a single day. For instance, I might do follow ups on floating applications in the early AM; I'll search new postings mid morning (instead of using a previous week filter, use "posted in the last 24 hours"). I'll complete applications and send targeted cover letters and resumes in the afternoon.
Then when time is up and my scheduled work is done for the day, I aim to log-off and go be present someplace else. Right now, for me, that's making my kids an after school snack, helping them with homework, starting dinner, and then shuttling kids to their arts and sports activities before my partner, Yvonne, gets home from work.
Set a schedule and stick to it.
Invest in a Resume Review. Resume review services, especially at senior and executive levels, can get pricey. But if you've never had a pro review your resume, it may be worth the investment. A resume review doesn't need to break the bank, though. For instance, Indeed.com has a simple review service that is only about $20. The reviewer does not edit your document, but instead reviews and returns a ~10 minute screen share video with feedback, tips, and recommendations.
Even as a VP-level pro and skilled communicator, I found most of the $20 review's feedback useful and I have put it into practice with better results since.
If you're not getting responses on jobs for which you're qualified, you may be getting caught up in the ATS (applicant tracking system).? The ATS is AI software that recruiters use to match candidates with open roles via keyword matches between a resume and the job requirements.
This is one of those things the pros will be much better at explaining than I ever could (and I welcome their tips in the comments section!). But before this job search, I had no idea how ATS worked nor that they were likely blocking many of the first resumes I sent out from ever making it to a human's computer screen just because of the resume template I used.
First, you need to make sure your resume template is readable by ATS (you can google this or address it with a resume writing pro). Then, make sure you're matching specific keywords from the job description in your profile/summary for each resume you write. For instance, if a job requires 5 years of experience, add that you have 5 years of experience. If a job manages a team of 10 and you've done that, make sure your resume says you've led teams of 10.
ATS Tip: If you auto import your resume into a career site and your summary section and/or experiences are imported into the wrong fields there are blank fields you need to edit them manually, you're likely missing opportunities with ATS, too.
Focus on your network. If you're relying solely on job postings, you're at the mercy of the ATS as well as the fact there are often many qualified candidates for any given open position. Add to that the fact that recruiters and hiring managers are time-poor and lack the ability to carefully review every single applicant. This is why high quality materials - role-specific resumes and targeted cover letters - are very important to distinguish your application, but nothing can replace a warm introduction.
I highly recommend focusing first on open job opportunities where you have a real connection on the inside. You can find these in your LinkedIn feed where friends either post, like, or comment on links to job postings. These are gold because when you see these, there is often a push because the posting is new or because they're having trouble finding the right fit. Or, if using the job search feature in LinkedIn, click the "in my network" button when filtering your job search results to see roles at organizations where you know people.
Having a warm referral from a past colleague can work wonders getting you into the mix. Assuming your materials make it through, recruiters can see skills and experiences on your resume, but culture and values fit is always an unknown. An internal referral can get your resume directly to the human and help remove some risk about fit, which makes the recruiter's job easier. I always ask for the referral before listing my colleague's name.
Time Management. Use your non-job searching time productively, too. In addition to scheduling my searches and actively blocking non-search time for my most important relationships and other commitments, I've also used my sideline time to volunteer my time and skills, read books and articles, listen to podcasts, and take some courses to deepen/broaden my skills.
It's important to remain well-rounded and engaged and to be exercising my mind with new concepts and ideas. I spend about 6 hours each day alone in my house between the school buses. It would be easy to become one dimensional and, let's face it, kind of boring to be around if the only topic on my mind is the job search. I challenge myself each week to make progress on things I'm seeking to do or learn.
For specific concepts and topics, there is of course Google and YouTube. I'm a big fan of browsing Salesforce Trailhead for good SF content but also high quality management and leadership content, too. I also use some paid sites like Spotify and Audible for podcasts and audiobooks. My career is in sales and sales leadership and these providers all have high-quality content related to what I am seeking to learn, so I aim to make them a regular part of my week.
Thank you for reading. This is just my experience; fellow searchers, recruiters and people pros, what did I miss? Please comment below and feel free to share.