Hello hello— Just your friendly neighborhood career guidance counselor back at it with another great episode to share and recap with you. And, as always, thanks for being part of the neighborhood. You know him, you love him (and if you don’t, you should)— we’re talking to Senior Technology & Product Leader and general wisdom giver, Jon Martini. The subject? The job search and what actually works. So whether you’re not looking just yet, perusing the market or deep in the trenches we’re going to talk about a little something for everyone.
Did I catch you in your regularly scheduled afternoon slump? Here, watch this:
Or do you only have a few minutes before that meeting you’ve been dreading all day:
I don’t think there’s anyone out there that is saying, “Wow, the job search is so much fun. I wish I was doing this all the time.” It’s sometimes really brutal— not hearing back, falling in love with something and the offer never comes through, feeling tempted to take a job you’re not passionate about just to be done with it. But there are ways to make the entire process less emotionally draining while still bringing in results. After months on the search, Jon recently found and was hired by implementing the following:
Saved Searches
When looking for jobs on LinkedIn, for example, put in your general job search but take advantage of the filters.
- Be sure to click “posted in the last 24 hrs” so you’re not swimming in a pool with hundreds of other applicants
- Don’t select any salary range or experience level. This will only overly limit your results and may exclude some positions that were marked incorrectly when posted.
- On LinkedIn, go into All Filters and select anything that's an absolute for you (but be mindful that you are looking to cast a wide net).
- Some positions may say they’re hybrid or in-office only but just ask if this is a hard rule. Some companies use this as a first-round knock-out question to help limit unnecessary applications.
Turn on Your Notifications
You’ve already gone through the trouble of setting up your saved searches, opt to get a daily digest or set up multiple notifications and alerts throughout the day. Being quick to the draw on some of these positions can help set you apart.
Structure Your Day to Prioritize Your Mental Health
Make a consistent daily schedule that works for you. For Jon, that was starting his day by making an early morning post and walking the dog before jumping into his saved searches. Make sure whatever you choose is sustainable for you and your lifestyle.
- If you’re not consistently hitting reset for yourself, you’re going to grind yourself down before you ever get to the role you’re trying so hard to reach. Take up a hobby, play an hour of video games with your friends, walk the dog— find something that’s just for you.
Don’t Stop Making Connections
So maybe you’re not the type of person that wants to constantly be putting yourself out there with video content and a huge social media presence. Start with just writing one post a day. I promise even if you think it’s obvious, someone doesn’t know it. At the end of the day, posting is one of the simplest ways to get people to start noticing and remembering you.
You can literally get your stuff in front of 10,000 people by just pressing enter. And that’s the power of using social media.
- If you add someone, send them a note. Here, let’s start with Jon. He even gave you a message to copy and paste. “Hey saw you on GC 2.0. I enjoyed what you said about (pick thing) and would love to discuss it further. Currently, I’m (blank) looking for (blank). And I would love to chat.”
- Maybe you were laid off more tragically or unexpectedly from a job you loved, something lots of us sadly relate to. But when you’re posting that you’re looking for a job— keep the subject about you (who you are + what you do well + what you’re looking for). This is an elevator pitch, not an autobiography.
Okay, so you’ve got your saved searches ready, your notifications on and a post in mind for tomorrow morning, right? Good.
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