Read This Before Starting Your Job Search

Before you start your job search, take the time to “audit” yourself to figure out what you’re looking for and why.

Why it matters:

A job search isn’t something you do for a couple minutes a day. It’s essentially a full time job. Multiple phone screens with recruiters; interviews with hiring managers, networking, preparing for interviews – this stuff takes time. Searching for a new job will likely cause you to start underperforming at your current job, so you should only look if you’re committed to finding something new

The last thing you want to have happen is you search hard for a few months, your work suffers, you stay put, and now you’ve put yourself in bad standing with your company

Here’s how to do it:

1. Determine what pain points you are experiencing at work

   • Common ones include:

     • Money

     • Work/life balance

     • Meaningful work / upskilling

     • Upward mobility – management or individual contributor

2. Are you able and willing to resolve these with your current company?

   • There is honestly a good chance that your manager doesn’t know you’re looking for a raise, promotion, or a new project. Or - at least how serious you are about it.

   • If you actually like the company you’re working for and have a decent relationship with your boss, having an honest, direct, and transparent conversation about your goals might be the best option for you

   • You’ve already built up the internal knowledge and reputation, why take the time to rebuild it elsewhere if you don’t have to?

   • Try this gameplan:

     • Set a meeting with your manager in advance

     • Let them know how you like working for them and the company, but in order to feel good about staying there long term, you feel like you need a raise/promotion/better project

     • If they are not ready to offer it to you now, try to get them to agree to a performance based plan to get to that goal of yours.

     • Put together a timeline (say 3-6-9-12 months) and outline your goals along that you and your manager agree with

     • Upon successful completion, you would get the project, promotion, or raise you’re looking for.

3. Do your competitors offer something better?

   • You should research what your competitors are offering and how they operate.

   • While all companies have their flaws, some companies can offer & provide certain things others cannot

   • If your company’s competitors operate the same way and can’t solve your pain points, it might be pointless to leave if you’re just going to experience the same thing there

     •  For example, banking & financial services and big 4 consulting are not known for their work/life balance. 

     • If you are going to switch to another competitor here, chances are you’ll find yourself in the same spot if you want better W/L balance

     • You would need to switch industries which may potentially involve a paycut if you would be interested in this

   • But, if you figure out some of your company’s competitors may be able to offer you what you’re looking for, it’s time to get in contact with them.

     • For example, if you’re current company won’t promote you to a manager level because there is no room, that’s something where you’ll be able to go get yourself a job offer for another firm

     • If you find out your competitors pay more on their salary bands, that’s something you can go entertain. For example, certain banks are known for paying more than others. So you can still stay within the industry and switch employers if that is your main motivation 

     • If you’re looking for more options on your total comp (i.e. you want equity or RSU’s instead of just 100% base salary) that’s something you can go find out from the competition

4. Research

   • Research what other companies offer for the skillset you have and for the skillset you’re looking for

   • The key is to be objective in your research, and to keep an open mind. You may find out you’re actually in a good spot financially, but can find a better work environment elsewhere

   • Or you can find out that the tech stack / skillset you have is actually worth more than what you’re making, and can go to the open market and get yourself a raise

     • Salary

       • Levels.io

       • Salary.com

       • Glassdoor

       • Blind

       • Linkedin insights

     • Research potential target companies culture & work/life balance

       • Glassdoor; blind

       •  Leverage any peers you have that are in similar roles to you or that you want to get to

5. If you determine you want to find a new job:

   • What are the 3-5 things you ideally are looking for in your next job?

   • What are the non-negotiables that you absolutely need to make a move?

   •  Would you actually make a move if you got those things?

     • If the answer to this question is ‘no’ you need to question if looking for a job now is actually for you

Now remember what I always like to say…

“The market doesn’t like”.

The longer your job search drags on, that’s the market telling you something. At least in “this” market, what you’re looking for may be a little out of touch, and you’ll need to probably compromise on a few things if you’re looking to make a move sooner.

If you’re landing recruiter calls but they’re not converting, that still may be a sign that you’re asking for too much (or maybe it’s your soft skills).

If you’re landing HM interviews, then you’re in a good spot and it’s only a matter of time before you land an offer.

Bottom line:

Audit your job search.

Don’t waste your time running in circles. Make sure the roles you’re applying for solve the pain points you’re experiencing today.

If you enjoyed this post, this was actually an excerpt from my job seeker’s ebook. You can check it out below as well:

If you’re looking to schedule a call with me directly to discuss anything from resume, linkedin, job search, or career topics - you can book a call below: