Day One:
Ok, most important things to do today:
- Dust off your resume.
- Automate the heck out of things.
RESUMÉS
When is the right time to update or work on your resume? Well… you’ve always got to keep it up, even if you’re not looking.
You may not have been looking in a long time, but with the ups and downs of your industry, I’d advise to add interesting things or big accomplishments every quarter.
Also – SEO the hell out of the thing. Add key words, measurable results, things that JUMP off the page so much that any person out there knows what you’re about AND that you can win the Tracking System Game. Search strings and ATS’ don’t care what you’ve done, it’s only about what you’re smart enough to put in your resume.
Honestly, the “perfect” resume is not necessary. You only need one that’s effective enough to get you in an actual human conversation.
But for now, we’re going to need to get you to polish this thing up a bit because the next move is to hit the job boards and start sending stuff (FYI, job boards SUCK, but at this point it’s worth spending half a day and getting things sent out and searches automated. They become your lead source that we’ll talk about below.
Day Two, Job Boards:
Nobody likes applying and having your resume (and hope) die in the black hole that is the internet. I see constant frustration over it here on LinkedIn, and every word of scorn is worth it. The thing is, they used to be… OK, like 8 years ago, but now there are so many sites and aggregators that it’s entirely saturated.
*Quick side note – I posted two open roles in the last month – on a Friday. They got 170 and 222 resumes in a week. I really only had time to look at 10/10 fits, and usually stopped looking after I found a few in the first 25 or so. Got good candidates too. Speed & timing matter. Recruiters use job postings, successfully, but it’s for quick hits.
So what you do is scan through the openings you like, apply to a bunch, and by the end of the day, you got them all. They get fewer and fewer with every flip of the calendar. BUT, YOU NOW KNOW WHO’S HIRING (sure, some are up to collect resumes, they super suck, and you can’t really tell.)
Maybe you get a call back, maybe not, but you’ve got yourself a lead list now, so buckle up, you’re about to start networking.
Day Three, Actual Human Networking:
The last couple days you’ve now got a few things set up. Automate what you can, polish up your resume, that kind of stuff. But I always think it’s smart to clear your head a bit. Get a haircut, go for a long run, buy a new shirt.
Earlier you read my rant about job boards, so what’s really going to help here? Actual humans.
Do this – put together a list of all the people in the business world you know. Last time I had to do it, I scribbled at least a page and a half on my notebook, but do a spreadsheet if that’s you. Lots of my contacts had reached out already, but I really recommend sending a quick note to all these people.
This is not about being embarrassed, not about swallowing your pride. You have to know that these people like you and will genuinely want to help. (Side note – the LI job support community has been INCREDIBLE the past few months.) Send a note. Keep it simple. Not everybody can help, but at this point, it just takes one to get you back in the game.
Another cool trick is to ask for LinkedIn Recommendations. Testimonials are neat, and generally people like to do them. It’s an easy way to reconnect too. Do some for your pals too. Send the note!
Day Four, You’re the Hunter Now:
These following thoughts cut through the most job search BS out of anything I can ever tell you. You need to know WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Toss in a few cliches for fun…
“Control your own destiny”
“Grab the bantha by the horns”
Anyway, what we need to do now is put in some research and figure out exactly which companies we want to work for. That’s going to take some introspection and some hours of effort to put this together, but it’s worth it. This is truly the number one favor you can do yourself when you’re searching.
Here’s why: If you’re making a move, it’s for a reason. Nobody wants to search. It sucks. But the end goal of finding a “dream job” (Cliche there. Did it again) is why you’re putting in the effort. Make it worth it. And that means you’ve got to figure out where that place will be.
I’m lucky to be in the Chicago market where there are literally hundreds of cool companies, so it’s fairly easy to get a few places that put ready-made lists together for me to view. My go-to places are Crain’s Chicago and Built In Chicago. You can also do a simple Goog for “best companies in Random City, USA” too.
That’s the easy part. Now turn on Netflix, fire up your spreadsheets, and record the places that appeal to you. Remember those job posts from the other day? Do any match what you’re into? Those are instant warm leads. You can quickly build up a few dozen or so on your list right now, but let’s plan to at least DOUBLE that soon. We’ll talk about what to do next in a bit…
Day Five, It’s OK to Take a Day Off:
It’s totally fine to do nothing, zip, zilch in your job search.
Go play some golf at a place you’ve never been to before. Go see a movie (if we can?!?!?) Go to your favorite restaurant (same thing?!?!?)
The sun comes up tomorrow. Take care of yourself, you’re working hard, and you’ll get there.
Day Six, Hunt Like a Pro:
This next part’s kind of uncomfortable. Well, really uncomfortable. You need to do some cold outreach.
I often do it with LinkedIn connections.
LinkedIn’s really good at letting you write a short Twitter style intro to every Connection, so you have to think about your message wisely. Of course, people will still blow you off or tell you to hit the road, but this isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Thing is, you’ve got to add some value. If you come across as transactional or of the “PLS HALP ME IM LOOKING” tone, you’re an instant delete. I always feel like if you ask for advice, or ask for expertise as a lead in, you get better results. Build up a little template, but make sure you customize every note you send.
For instance if I get a note saying “Jon, I like your super charming wit, industry knowledge and Tiger Woods, can you spare a few mins?” You BET YOUR ASS I’m taking that call, cause they GET me (ha!). Now if someone says “I’m in XYZ industry, can you get me a job?” I mean, yeah, I can try and see, but for real – I’m spending about 4.2 seconds on this and clearing it out.
How YOU come across can vary. Be you and be authentic (in 300 characters or less). Close your eyes and give it a go.
End of the Week:
Again, this is pretty LI focused. There’s sooo many other ways to do it, but so many of the relevant people in my industry and search hang out here, I can often meet the people I need JUST by using things like LinkedIn. That’s kind of lucky we have it. Branch out and try other ideas outside of LinkedIn too.