Introducing the Job Search Matrix

You can read the original of this article on my blog.

Hold on.

In a hurry? Looking for a job search app? You're covered.

Oh, got time.

Let's dive in then.

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Finding a new job.

Might be as easy as saying yes to a recruiter contacting you on LinkedIn.?

Or as hard and pressing as having anxiety attacks every morning right after you wake up.

I’ve already made a try to put some structure into the job search.?

Back then I’ve stopped at the more direct ones avoiding Recruiters.?

I’m still no big fan of recruiters though I come to see them in a different shade now.

Now, building an app for HR managers brought the conundrum up.

“What ways can you find jobs??

And how these ways relate to one another?”

I was planning for a nerdy and wordy way to present the matrix. Then figured you’d rather want to see the matrix for yourself first.

The pieces.

I boiled down the whole search into three phases:

• Preparation -

1. you get the itch and you know you need to change,
2. you think it through (what you want, why you want it, where you want it, make a ‘do not list’),
3. you polish your LinkedIn profile, get a new, more professional pic, refresh your resume, cover letter template (do you really need one?),
4. set up notifications on job boards, upload resumes to same

• The Hustle -

1. you reach out to friends, old coworkers, old flames, depending on the urge
2. make web searches,
3. go to the 2-3 job boards you’ve heard of at the watercooler day after day,
4. email or upload more resumes,
5. generate and send cover letters,??
6. do phone, video, in-person interviews,

• Home run -

1. you ponder over offers contemplating if you should probably not knowing what are your possibilities.?

a) take it

b) haggle

c) return with a polite “My arse!”

While for the traction channels - yes it’s a startup term, read about it up and get obsessed:?

• Networking - has good parts, but the Hustle is more limited or just straight not possible - i.e. your network will wear out before you 9 out of 10 cases.?
• Direct approach - You look up companies - more like a list of companies in your select industries and geo regions. Drawback: It is hard to conjure up new candidates after a while.??
• Job boards - probably the most used way to look for, and maybe even find, a job. They do help with preparation through resources "only".?
• Recruiters - they come in all kinds of flavors. Some may even leave a sweet taste in your mouth. And while this seems like the easiest way to score. You have to deal with a few to know how they work, which has a learning curve.?Sometimes they may have exclusive jobs.

If you are an HR manager based in Europe (or aspiring to be) and have looked for a job in the field before you may want to go straight to the early access survey to get involved.?

Else just leave a comment below and tell me.

What did I get wrong here or did I forget anything?

This will be a series where I’ll dissect each phase and each channel to find where the breaks, friction points are, while I build the tool to help soothe and oil the whole process.