Lessons learned during my job search

I wanted to share a few tips of my job search experience in the past months. It has been a a period of learning and growth which I now appreciate, but it has been indeed a period of mixed feelings and uncertainties.

1. Take time to grieve. Understand that laid offs are not related to your performance, but are driven by company restructuring, strategic changes or by cost reductions. It is normal to feel sad, scared, undervalued, or all of the above. Take the time to mourn the loss, and then start taking action.
2. Evaluate your financials and plan accordingly. Find out how much room you have, talk to your financial adviser, and make plans. Have a budget, consider cost cutting, (always a good idea anyway), and evaluate some income generating ideas. For instance, some companies pay you for consulting over the phone.
3. Impostor syndrome is real.You may question your value,your experience, and wander if you are still relevant. At a smaller or greater scale, it can happen, statistics show that it is more common on women, and even more on Latin women. It happened to me. Deal with it, seek support if needed through a coach. Know that your professional career has been relevant. You did good things, and probably also made some mistakes too. Go through your career, evaluate your achievements and feel proud of them. Don’t be humble, but don’t exaggerate neither.
4. Update your resume, It is worth paying for a resume writer to improve your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Alternatively, LinkedIn offer some courses, and there are many coaches online that offer free tips. Use tools to make sure your resume can pass the initial filters. Jobscan is a good tool to match your resume to the job posting. Make your application relevant. At the end, recruiters are looking for people that can do the job, add value, and fit into their organization, so think, what can I bring to the table?
5. Network, network, network, Its not about adding people on LinkedIn. It is s about establishing personal relationships. Connecting to people and connecting them, not only for your own good. Don't be afraid to contact people at events, or asking to be introduced. And even if you are not introduced by someone, contact the person you want to connect with directly. I have found that people, at least in Houston, are very open, and willing to help! People love talking about themselves and feel useful. Establish and maintain connections. I was blown away with the statistics that 76% of new jobs are found through network, and not necessarily from your 1st degree connections, but through second or third connections.
6. Make a plan. Where do you want to work? Analyze the market, the companies, your skill set. Use this market plan when meeting with your network, Do they have connections in the companies in which you want to work? Do they know of any lead? Can they connect you? Consider using an outplacement company, some offer coaching and help in developing this plan, resume building, and professional or executive network meetings, which can be helpful.
7. Get involved. Volunteer. Offer your help. It is not only about meeting people, there is also something about that feeling when you help others, that will help you keep your sanity while you are on your job search. Find a theme that you enjoy, and volunteer.
8. Update yourself. Attend events. Search for events in your city, in your area of expertise, and be active. Learn or reinforce new skills. What are the key words nowadays? Digitization, data analytics, Artificial intelligence, so think how can you become relevant.
9. When called for interviews, prepare for the interview. Research the company, the culture, the market. Prepare by thinking in advance about potential questions and responses. Use SOAR stories. (Situation, Obstacles, Action, Results). Consistency across different interviewers is also important, have a key message.
10. Mentor or find mentors. I have been mentoring for a while now. Mentoring is a two way road, where you not only share your experience, but you also learn from your mentees. I mentor in two organizations, Lean In Energy and Women's Energy Network, both are great programs.
11. Most important, understand that nothing, good or bad, is forever. This will also pass. Make sure that you take care of yourself and of your family while you are in this process. It will be an emotional roller coaster, be prepared for rejections, for excitement, for disappointments, and all in between, Yet, enjoy the process, have fun, take the time to explore new things, connect, grow.

Finally, be grateful for what you have and give back. Help others by connecting them, or giving tips or leads. I wish your next job brings you joy, excitement, and learning opportunities.