It is a job to find a job…and most do not do it well; in part because there is little time to find a new one while employed and, when unemployed, a sense of despondence, depression, or desperation may make it hard to perform at peak levels. Three steps can turn the average job seeker into their own search executive in charge of a stress-free campaign that is guaranteed to find a job and to grow as a professional from the experience.
Step I is to get clear about what you want to do next. Most do not get clear about what they want to do next because it is hard to do and because they do not want to rule anything out. Perhaps they hope to be pleasantly surprised by the jobs that others will just happen to offer them if they remain open.
Unfortunately, things do not usually work this way, except by sheer luck, especially for those well into their work lives. Asking a prospective employer to study a resume and propose a job is like a chef handing a restaurant patron a list of ingredients and asking what they would like to eat. It is too hard to do and the more experience and skills there are to look at, the worse the problem.
The odds of getting the job you want increase dramatically when you are clear about what you want. So, the preferred approach is to describe the ideal job in order to force a prospective employer to think about you in the context of something specific. This brings to mind corresponding openings if they exist and, if not, jobs that are near to it are likely to surface first in their mind, and then in conversation.
Job seekers need to get to the point where they can:
Step II is to do some research to come up with a list of the organizations at which it would be great to have the ideal job. Select organizations in an industry and in a geography of great interest because there is no point chasing jobs only to reject them in the end because they are not in an area of keen interest.
Step III is to compile a list of people who might be able to refer you to leaders in the target organizations. Ideal referrers are themselves successful and highly networked. Such people almost always have time to help someone make a productive connection. Start by spending an hour with a person you already know who might be a good referrer, perhaps over lunch, and follow this script:
Refine the definition of the ideal job, the list of referrers and target organizations based on input received and iterate through the three steps. Keep a running, prioritized list of the top prospective jobs. Focus on the top prospects until some offers are received and then either accept one or start the process over again!
In addition to helping to find a job, this approach also:
