How to announce you're "Open to Work" (Don't do it the wrong way!)

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a few weeks. I’ve been working on a new resource, the Open to Work Info Sheet, and I’m SO excited to share it with you today!?

There’s a right way and a wrong way to announce you’re “open to work.” Unfortunately, I've seen it done the wrong way 99% of the time. Fortunately, I’ve spent weeks creating a resource to help with this exact problem, and today I’m sharing it with you.

The following advice is for those who are openly and actively searching for jobs. If you are quietly or passively looking for jobs, you can still benefit from this advice, you just have to be discreet with whom you send the information to.

There are four steps to properly announce you’re Open to Work:

1. Gather your sources
2. Write your Open to Work Info Sheet
3. Share your Open to Work Info Sheet with your network
4. Share your Open to Work Info Sheet on LinkedIn and announce you’re #OpentoWork

Today’s newsletter covers STEPS 1-3. Next week’s email will cover STEP 4. (I broke it up because otherwise this newsletter would be way too long.) Let’s get started!?

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SOURCES

Before announcing that you’re Open to Work, gather resources to help communicate your skills and ideal job:

1. Figure out what you want - what jobs do you want next? Be specific - it’s easier for people to help you if they know what you want. What are your ideal job titles? Ideal companies? Ideal industries?
2. Figure out what your target employers want. Read the job descriptions that interest you and highlight the keywords and key phrases - what skills and experience requirements do you see repeatedly? Those are the ones that you will highlight in your Open to Work Info Sheet.?
3. If you’re switching industries, find the transferable skills. These are typically soft skills like leadership, communication, and teamwork. You will find transferable skills by category too. For example, if you’re applying for your first project management job, you will talk about how you previously managed complex projects. Or, if you’re applying for your first HR role, you can share how you were involved in talent development at your old job.?
4. It’s not about what you can do, it’s about what you can do for them. Now that you know what you want and what your target employers want, frame your background in a way that appeals to potential employers. Review your resume and choose your top 3-5 big accomplishments. If you haven’t done so already, add quantifiable measures to these accomplishments (check out my Story Stash resource for advice about how to do this). And remember to use those keywords!?

STEP 2: WRITE YOUR OPEN TO WORK INFO SHEET

At this point, you know what your target employers want and how to communicate your accomplishments. Now it’s time to put it all together in a document I call the “Open to Work Info Sheet.” Once this sheet is created, you will send it out to your network (STEP 3) and post it on LinkedIn (STEP 4).?

Your Open to Work Info Sheet is kind of like a resume, but it’s easier to understand and less formal. Our eyes tend to gloss over resumes and the boring business language. Your Open to Work Info Sheet, on the other hand, is easy to read and comprehend by anyone in your network.

Think about it this way - the Open to Work Info Sheet is not so much about your past job titles and companies, but more about your experience and what you’re looking to do next.?

I have created a document AND editable template to create your Open to Work Info Sheet, click here for access .

When you’re finished, the document will look something like this:

I have created a document AND editable template to create your Open to Work Info Sheet, click here for access .

STEP 3: SHARE IT WITH YOUR NETWORK

Now that you have created your Open to Work Info Sheet, it’s time to share it with the world! The following advice is for those who are actively and openly looking for a new job. If you are passively and quietly looking for a new job, be more selective with whom you send this document to.

Earlier this year I wrote about how to identify people in your network and reach out to them, click here to read the article . You will follow the same steps in the article, and now you will include your Open to Work Info Sheet too.?

Don’t be stingy here - make a long list of contacts. As I mentioned in the article , you aren’t reaching out exclusively to industry contacts. Rather, you are reaching out to the regular people in your network - regardless of their industry - because you never know who they might know.?

Here’s a sample outline for your outreach messages:?

Hi [their name], I hope you’re doing well. The last time we spoke you were [mention something personal about them] - are you still doing that?

I’m writing because unfortunately I was laid off last month and I am looking for a new job. I hope you might know someone in your network who can help.

As you can see from my Open to Work Info Sheet, I’m looking to work in [insert job title/industry]. My background is in [describe your industry/role], and I want to leverage my skills in [list key skills] to [describe your mission/ideal job].

Do you know anyone in the [name of company] or [name of industry] who can help? I am interested in meeting people for informational interviews, job opportunities, and to expand my network. Here is my LinkedIn profile [create hyperlink] and I’m attaching my resume in case you need it.

Thank you for thinking of me and please let me know if there’s any way I can use my network to help you.

With gratitude,

[Your name]

... TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

That’s it for today’s newsletter - whew, that was a lot! Your homework this week is to write your Open to Work Info Sheet and make a list of people to send it to. I’ll be back next week with advice for STEP 4: Announce you’re #OpentoWork on LinkedIn.?

To your success,

- Emily

Thanks for reading this newsletter. I share practical career advice about the job search, personal branding, networking, LinkedIn, and building career confidence. The job search sucks. Let me help you make it a little easier.

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EMILY WORDEN is a certified professional career coach helping driven job seekers get hired, get paid, and get more confident in their personal and professional lives. She helps mid-career professionals with career transitions, whether they want to move into a new industry or return to work after a career pause. Emily created a proven five-step method to help people find jobs they love for more money than they were expecting - the typical client receives a job offer in three months with a 20% pay increase. Kick your career in gear at www.emilyworden.com .