While my situation might not be the most applicable to everyone I can identify and extract some strategies I have employed before landing this job, as well as ones that I have employed during other points of transition in my life that I think are applicable.
1. Identify what you value the most
This can be so many different things but common ones often include:
- geographic location
- company
- industry
- focus of role
- salary
You don't have to pick just one but understand what your priorities are. If you desperately want to be in the healthcare industry then the industry your next job is in or relocating to a city that's a hotspot for this industry might be your top priority.
2. What is this job for you?
Where does this job fall within your entire career? Is this the job you've been working towards your entire life? Is this your second role right out of college?
Any job can be any of these things for someone regardless of where they are in their career. I'm not an advocate of jumping from one job to the next hastily (though sometimes this cannot be avoided) so to avoid this it's important to think through this.
3. Put to the context of your life
Listen (read) very closely: Your job is not your life. I repeat, your job is not your life. I read a wonderful piece HBR earlier this year that I still think about. This is it and I highly recommend the read but to hit on some of the big pieces for me: it's a discussion of the fact that your career, while hugely important in your life (giving you a sense of fulfillment, intellectual and creative outlet, and so on) is not your only purpose. In fact it's likely not your life purpose. Get married, have a family, laugh. This is what life is about. Your career helps build the life you want.
Why is this so important to keep in mind? Well if you're a woman on the verge of wanting to have a child and seeking a professional change, I'd think that what a company offers you in terms of maternity leave, work/life balance, etc would be important. Certainly what we value and what we'll in turn too to keep in mind changes throughout our life but we need to stay tuned into this, whatever it is.
4. Roadmap
After understanding your top priorities (both in and outside the workplace) and identifying if your next role is a stepping stone or an end-stage, I recommend roadmaping. This means identifying how you're going to get to where you want to be.
This means a few things. First consider taking the time to lay out a plan of attack for how you're going to approach your upcoming job search. While doing this push yourself to think big and consider how your moves are going to help you achieve your end goals.
What do I mean by this? Maybe you want to jump to technology but don't think you have the background to successfully do so right now. That's okay, maybe you move to a role or a company knowing that will build skills that will help you get to a tech role over time. You can do this within an existing role as well by starting to work on projects that position you to get there. Maybe you're in HR but really want to move to social media marketing. Well by raising your hang to get involved in the recruiting social media work you begin to lay your own foundation.
It might take some time but then again most things that are worthwhile take time.
5. Start early
Searching for a new job is difficult, it's time consuming, it's exhausting. Sure we've all heard the story of the friend who applied to a new job on a whim and got it and suddenly he thinks that he's the master of job searching and it's "really easy." News flash: It's not. This guy got lucky, he was in the right place at the right time. That's awesome and I'm not saying that he didn't deserve it or that it's not a great opportunity, I'm saying this is not the norm. Even if this has happened for you before I wouldn't rest on my laurels for the next search.
Most job searches will beat you down, make you question your experience, your education, and many other choices you have made to date in your career and life quite frankly. That might sound dramatic, but if you get to a point where you need a change it might very well be the reality. Don't let yourself get to this point where you need to get out. Start soon.
6. Do it
That's it. Nothing more, do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment