Back to the Job Search Basics

Can you believe it’s only six weeks until Christmas? Now that I have your stressed attention, I thought I’d start the gifting a little early by revisiting my top tips for the job search. Maybe you need an overview of the basics right now, or maybe you can tuck these away for when the time comes. Whatever your situation— here’s a ‘don’t panic’ plan that can help get you through what is arguably always not a fun time.

Looking for another job while at your job? This episode + another hour to clean up your resume makes for the perfect “lunch and learn” time block. Plus you can network in the comments.

If you’re trying to be a bit more discrete— here’s the overview:

Since we’re talking basics, let’s lay these tips out in a real basic format.

• Right now: update your resume and your LinkedIn

  • If you need tips on how to update your resume, I got you (here).

  • Is the thought of tackling your resume half the reason you haven’t left your current job? It’s okay to just pay to play. There are tons of professionals out there to help you with your resume and LinkedIn. If you want to use me, great. If there’s someone else you vibe with, also great. The important part is that you get this part checked off the to-do list first.

• Day-to-day plan:

  • Morning: you’re the most mentally fresh in the morning, which means you need to face the most mentally draining thing first— networking.

    • Goal: Have one net new conversation a day.

    • Spend 1-3 hours messaging and connecting with people and trying to get them on a call.

    • Use the ole trusty DM format:

      • admiration/flattery + specific amount of time + specific question

      • “I love what you’ve done in (blank). I would love to have 6 minutes of your time to talk about how you have been successful in your career finding jobs/working for a startup/getting to your level/etc.”

      • This is the time to include something you have in common with that person. So if you went to the same school or like the same kind of soup, now is the time to drop that conversational lead.

  • Noon: take a break

    • Mental and physical health are imperative when you’re searching for a job. If you’re not in the right headspace, you’re probably not going to be making decisions that you like down the road.

    • If the noon break isn’t cutting it— take a vacay or a staycay or whatever works for you. I don’t know y’all, just get outside and touch some grass. Your brain will thank you.

  • Afternoon: follow up

    • Answer DMs, have the calls you’ve set up, and don’t get discouraged. The DM response rate is around 20%. Even if you get a response, getting that conversation all the way to a call is an absolute win every time.

• Additional tips:

  • Set up a job-specific email so that all things ‘job search’ go to a central place.

  • Use tools like Trello and Huntr to keep track of your applications and important dates/conversations.

  • Keep following up. Don’t leave a lead hanging. I literally got my current job because I made the effort to follow up in a timely way.

  • Job boards suck… but you still need to use them. Log in a few times a week so that your updated profile is active and goes to the top of the stack for recruiters and hiring managers to see. Or maybe talent marketplaces will be more your vibe, shoutout gun.io.

  • Get involved in some communities. Slack, Discord, or whatever works best for you. Just get out there and interact with people.

  • Warm leads are always the way to go. If you’re chatting with someone and things are going really well, ask for an introduction to someone else.