Early 2014 I went through what I thought was going to be a pretty long and extensive job search. I was fully prepared to spend two or three months researching opportunities, taking meetings, and figuring out what it was that I wanted to do. However, that process took roughly 4-5 weeks from start to finish and that included 15 interviews in one week.
Sometimes you just know that it's time to
move on from a company. Starting a job search can be daunting because it's definitely a full time undertaking and you have to be mentally prepared for it if you're going to come out on the other end with a great job. Starting a job search without a network would seem almost impossible, so my advice is to have a network before you start. Easier said than done, right? However without one you're going to be blindly applying to company websites, job boards, and career sites which may take far too long. With a network you cut to the front of the line, every time, as a referral. A network takes time to build, but the value far exceeds the upfront time commitment.
Assuming you've got a network to fall back on these are the pieces of advice I can give to you when going through a job search that will make it a quick and (somewhat) painless one:
Start With a Research Phase (~30 days)
Starting my job search in December 2013 got off to a slow start. I poked around a few job boards, had a few coffee meetings with those whom I knew were hiring at their companies, and started putting the word out there quietly that I had wanted to make a move by early spring. December was mostly about doing my research, creating lists of what I wanted and at potential companies, crafting an updated
resume, and seeing what was available.
Begin Applying
After the holidays I continued to do much of the same, but it was hard to do with a full time job, a part-time University teaching job, and a side project. I suggest at least applying to one job per night with a well crafted cover letter and a resume, both targeted to that job. In January I was only able to go on 4-5 first and second interviews because of the time crunch.
Make the Job Search a Full Time Job
It wasn't until after I left my full time job in January that things really picked up. Not once did I post publicly to Facebook, Twitter, or Linked In that I was searching. Save that for when you've exhausted your network. I sent individual emails to everyone I've gotten to know through online groups, #cmgrchat, conferences, and meetups. These weren't cold emails, these were emails to those I connect with on a daily, weekly, or sometimes monthly or even quarterly basis. What I found was an overwhelmingly positive response of people not only willing to help, but general excitement about the hunt and where I would wind up. In some cases it actually strengthened some of my looser connections into really good friendships today.
It's a Numbers Game
I kept a Google spreadsheet of all of the places I applied to. It had 3 tabs: Active, Dead, and Notes. In the Active tab I kept the following information of all the opportunities that were still in play:
- Date: Date Applied
- Company: Name
- Position: Title
- Applied How: Did I apply via a website, job board, email, Linked In, etc.
- Contact: Who is the name of the hiring manager?
- Connection: Did someone refer me to the company?
- Interview: Not yet, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Offer
- Dead? Yes/No
In December and January I applied to 33 companies, had 18 first interviews, 8 second interviews, 6 third interviews, 3 fourth interviews, 1 fifth interview, 3 presentations, and 2 offers.
Be Open to Opportunity
In the first week of February I had 15 interviews. Some were first interviews, some were presentations, and some were over the phone in different cities. They were all within an area of my field, and some were positions that seemed interesting that I could apply my skills to, but ultimately weren't right. But take every meeting, answer every email, and thank everyone you come across for their time whether they're setting you up or doing the actual interview.
Fast forward a year to today, and I've been happily employed at Emoderation. It's been a lot of fun with some of the smartest people in the industry, an incredible learning opportunity, a significant challenge on a scale I previously hadn't had access to, and a lot of travel. All things that were incredibly important to me in my search.
Congrats! You're desired by not one, but two, maybe even THREE businesses! While this is exciting, it's also an incredible source of stress. Which one do you choose? How do I know? Why is life so hard?! Whatever, it's only my future.
