Are you at a crossroads in your professional life? Say yes and feel confident knowing that you’re not alone! Do you have a process for getting to what’s next for you? If so, please share.
If not or you’re willing to hear another path then tune in to learn from my friend Bill who really knows how to jump start a job search. This weekend I spent a few hours with my friend who sent me a cryptic message asking for advice. The net net was he appreciated my ability to see things about his experience that wasn’t clear to him and make a stronger sell for his dream job. I learned some valuable tips on how to organize your job search process that I’m passing along to you now:
1. Get real on your current Situation. Separate your fears of what may happen from what’s actually happening. Stop worrying about whether you are going to get that promotion or lose your job. Instead, start planning your next career move by considering all your options from changing jobs, securing a promotion, getting re-energized where you are OR lining up consulting work to bridge the $ gap between permanent positions.
2. Be Prepared! Knowing that I’m a career development coach, Bill (name changed to protect identity) asked me to prepare him for a job interview. He “wanted to make sure he was doing the best job possible telling his story in a compelling fashion and addressing the soft spots in a solid way”. We spent a few hours strategizing how to present his experience and career goals to his advantage. You can do this too.
3. Get Organized! I was so impressed with his process that I’m sharing it so you can move forward effectively with your job search. Here’s what Bill did and does:
- Created and maintains a comprehensive spread sheet that lists each person he has met or plans to contact.
- List key information such as appointments, contact information, notes, next steps, etc.
- Make a DAC for Every Important Meeting! Steal this idea – use an outline to prep for important meetings both in-person and especially phone conversations. His DAC (Discuss~Ask~Communicate) outline will help you organize your thoughts before contacting a prospective employer for each component:
– Discuss – List topics you want to cover
– Ask – Note questions you want answered
– Communicate – List your discussion points in priority order.
Now you can relax while you interact with key contacts confident that you won’t forget what you want to ask or tell them. What an awesome process! Please let me know how this advice worked for you and share your job search process tips here by emailing me at roseanne@whatsnextclub.com.
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