Part II: How to find a job

This is an article that is focused on helping recruiters (and my dearest friends in healthcare recruitment) who have lost their job. If you are not a recruiter, I hope there is a nugget (or two) of information that will help you too!

The bomb has already exploded. You have lost your job, your identity, your paycheck. Now the work begins.

As I mentioned in Part I, you need to overcome the emotional inertia that may find you glued to your couch. Or, you may find yourself in hyperdrive, applying, checking statuses and spam folders for that one message that gives you hope for the future.

My advice to you - create a routine. Working out, eating right, etc., etc. but this is about finding a job, so focused on that we shall be.

Start with making sure you have a device that makes it easy for you to apply to jobs. If you never did this in your previous role as a recruiter (apply to one of your posted jobs), this may be some sort of Karmic retribution as you attempt to apply to jobs through a mobile device. Me, I had an iPad and iPhone. I purchased the Excel and Word features for my iPad and off to the races I went.

Keep track of all your job applications. I went so far as tracking the following: Company, Job Title, Date Application Submitted, Email Receipt, Status, Date Notified of Status, Interview Date(s), Comments, and if I had reached out to anyone for the job and their title. I also included how I found the job (which platform, if any). Do you know I am still waiting to hear back on jobs that I applied to back in August of last year?

If you are a Recruiter, you may have only used LI to source for candidates, not connect with other recruiters. Now is the time to start connecting. I was lucky (although, what do they say about the harder you work, the luckier you get?) in that as a member of National Association for Health Care Recruitment (NAHCR) and someone who loves to network with my peers, I had a ready-made network to reach out to. If you don't, now is the time to start.

If you have an idea of the organization you'd like to work for, you can easily go to their site, sign up for job alerts, and skim through their openings. Not everyone has the luxury or that kind of time. I knew I wanted to be in healthcare recruitment. Specifically, I wanted to lead a team. I started with LI, Indeed, Google, and my Association website. That morphed into notifications set up through Talentify and other "lists" that I ended up on (some of them, I honestly don't know how, but I was happy for anything that pushed my way).

Great to see the jobs, but you need to take the next step and connect the dots to the people that are hiring for that role. If it's not evident (as in a LI posting that will sometimes tell you who the job poster is), then go hunting! Start by researching the company. You can do this through their website (in the About Us section, they often list their C-Suite), or on LI. LI is pretty easy to see who works in TA for that company. Connect with them, include a resume, and sell yourself! Note here on LI: Join Premium, even if temporarily, to help with the contacts.

If you know someone that works there, great, but don't be afraid to pitch yourself to a prospective employer. Use AI if you aren't that great at this, but as a recruiter, I expect you have those skills.

Don't be afraid of the label "Open to Work" and the ability to use this to your advantage. There is no stigma to telling people you are open. Do it. What is the worst that can happen? I would suggest writing a post...actually, I wouldn't necessarily write a post, I would do a video...but that is me, telling people about yourself and what you bring to their "TA Table".

If you are applying and you have the option to submit a cover letter, do it. Do your homework on the company and make sure you speak from your heart. We (recruiters) read these things!

When is the last time you interviewed? Sharpen your own skills. Write down questions to ask and don't be afraid to talk about your awesome skills as a recruiter. Ask for decision timelines and appropriateness of following up with them, should you not hear back.

Consider an interim role while you look for that next perfect job. I had the best experience in an Interim role. It also helped me move forward and gave me new appreciation for the role of the consultant.

Create the habit of spending "x" number of hours per day looking for a job. But don't forget to take care of your physical and emotional health along the way.

Take a deep breath. Take care of you and your wellbeing. You will end up in a better spot. It might take a while, but you will find that next perfect job.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade...or lemon bars.