Real Talk | Real Recruitment. Chapter Nine - The Job Search Strategy

The Plan of Attack.

Oh yes, friends ... a strategy! When it comes to your job search, you need a strategy, a plan of attack, a guided approach! You need to have a basic understanding of what, where, and how you're going to search, and to have a real talk with yourself about what you are and are not looking for!

Why? Because you need to understand your WHY to help finetune your search!

Today, I'm going to share some key questions to ask yourself to show how I work with people to make them really dig deep into their WHY before they start their search so they have focus and a strategy!

We already know that one size does not fit all when it comes to a job search so think of this as a way to kickstart your search by asking yourself some thought-provoking questions about what you're truly looking for before you click apply for the first time!

If you just head out there to apply to jobs with the "Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall" technique, you run a higher risk of struggling with your search, and you put yourself at risk of jobseeker burnout very quickly. A strategy can help to prevent this because you'll have a plan where you want to go!

Interviewing Yourself.

The best place to start creating a strategy is by interviewing yourself!

The following questions are to help you really hone in on what types of jobs you're targeting, what types of organizations, why you are looking in the first place, and what your deal-breakers are!

** Not all of these questions will be relevant for every single role/industry so I encourage each of you to "take what you need and leave the rest "; like a recipe you want to experiment with!

???? This "self interview" isn't intended to take long, and you may be able to have this analysis of your needs and wants done super quickly or you may take time to truly think about it.

It will be different for everyone, and sometimes urgency outweighs preferences for jobs (i.e. "I'll take any job I can get!"), but having a true understanding of what you are targeting is so important for any jobseeker! So, let's dive in!

What types of jobs?

1. Do I want the same job I have now or am I looking for something completely different?
2. Am I targeting a horizontal or lateral move?
3. Do I want to stay in this industry or am I ready to branch out into something new?
4. Am I ready and prepared to move into a leadership position? Or, do I want my level of responsibility to stay the same?

WHY ASK? You need to know what types of roles to search for before you start or you'll end up scattered across the job boards and revising your resume constantly.

What types of organizations, teams and cultures am I targeting?

1. What companies are the most appealing to me?
2. Do I want to be part of a massive organization with thousands of employees or be part of something smaller?
3. Am I open to start-ups or do I want well-established companies only?
4. Have I thought about what work/life balance means to me and what type of work culture I am targeting?
5. Do I have any network connections that can give me the inside scoop on their organizations?

WHY ASK? You need to arm yourself with research in advance so while you are applying you have an idea if they meet your criteria for a future workplace.

Why am I leaving?

1. Am I planning to potentially leave because it is the only way to get a promotion or increase in salary?
2. Am I leaving to escape a toxic workplace?
3. Is my current leadership and team supportive and one I can continue growing my career with?
4. Have I become stagnant and bored in what I am doing every day? Have I already tried to ask for more responsibilities, new projects and/or learning opportunities?

WHY ASK? Counter-offers happen often so having an answer to these questions in advance will prepare you for when this happens. Plus, this is a big change you're about to embark on so be sure you know your why in leaving!

What are my deal-breakers?

1. Am I firmly 100% stuck on wanting a remote role, or am I open to being flexible on work location?
2. Am I willing to relocate? If yes, how far am I willing to move, and more importantly, is my family onboard with this plan?
3. What are my realistic salary expectations? Have I done market research? Have I accessed a Cost of Living calculator to see how my current salary would compare to a different location?
4. What do I need to consider for total compensation, i.e. benefits, LTIs, bonuses, etc.?

WHY ASK? Knowing what your deal-breakers are will help guide your conversations with recruiters and hiring managers because you'll know what you are/aren't willing to flex on. Also, it will help you when it comes time to negotiations!!

In summary ....

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with thousands of jobseekers, and you wouldn't believe how many times people get far along in the process and they haven't truly thought about any of these questions.

Being unsure of what you are targeting, what you want, and what your deal-breakers are can make you more susceptible to a counter-offer (which commonly people end up regretting) or it can make you appear uncertain with your commitment to the new role (which can make companies hesitant to invest the money in onboarding someone new).

My hope for each of you is that you will have a strong recruiter supporting you in your application to help you work through each of these questions so you're going into the process with a solid understanding of what you really want AND so you have someone to support you in getting the answers to your questions for a particular job!

No, it might not work out exactly like you start off thinking, and yes, things can change as you're going through the process, but this will give you a good idea of what you're looking for and what you're willing to flex on.

This is only part one of creating a job search strategy so I hope you'll join me next time when we dive into how to map out potential jobs/companies, how to conduct company research, and to get a sneak peek in my own personal tracking system for job applications!

Until next time, happy jobseeking!

PS - if you need to catchup on the previous chapters where we broke down what a jobsearch is, I'll drop those links into the comments!