Going It Alone With Your Search After Losing Your Job; Six Guidelines For Action
Editor’s Note: We have plans to provide more content on this subject. If you have questions or suggestions, reach out to John at john@JohnGSelf.Com
You have just lost your job. Your employment has ended and now, with a small savings pool and six months severance, you are forced to re-enter the job market. You are worried about the money so obviously hiring a career coach, while potentially beneficial, seems like a luxury. So the question is: Can I go it alone and be successful with my job search?
Absolutely.
Today I will share tips on how to maximize your effort and, hopefully, accelerate the search process. But first, let me address some of the realities in today’s market.
- Research shows that those with coaches tend to land their next better job faster than those who do not draw on that expertise.
- If you are in healthcare, retail, or manufacturing you may have a longer search cycle as market conditions have tightened considerably due to an imbalance between the number of candidates and the available jobs.
- Regardless of your industry, you must develop a plan. Not to make too fine a point on this issue, but people who fail to plan, plan to fail. Consult a knowledgeable friend (free) or even a career coach to $250 to $750) for guidance or even the development of a plan. Consulting a specialist can save you time and some unfortunate potholes.
Let’s get busy.
- Looking for a job is a full-time job. How hard you have to work to find your next position has nothing to do with whether you have, or do not have, a career coach at your side.
- Finding a job is a full-time job. It is more like a marathon than a sprint. If you do not incorporate discipline into your new job you will struggle to succeed.
- You need a dedicated work space. Shared office space – spouse, kids and pets – is a bad idea. Barking dogs, giggling, noisy children or a spouse who has a deadline for a project while you are being interviewed on Zoom or Skype is a recipe for elimination from the search.
- Establishing a daily routine is essential. This routine must include LinkedIn posting, strategic networking using LinkedIn with telephone followup, and periodic attendance at networking events, coffees or lunches and professional meetings.
- Networking is not a one-way street. If you are a regular reader, this is not a new point. The more you give, the more you will receive. Make it about the person you are connecting with, at the start of the conversation and at the end when you should always ask, “Before we end the call is there anything I can do for you?” Spoiler alert: they may say yes. Be prepared to act. If the networking contact feels you have not been authentic, you have wasted your time and damaged your brand.
- The Millennials are taking over control. Yes, the Millennials increasingly are populating the talent acquisition departments at corporations and research desks in search firms. If you are a BabyBoomer or a member of Generation X you must understand how they work, how they communicate. They truly are the digital generation. If your goal is to be noticed for a search they are conducting, you better have a formidable digital footprint. Not posting is not an option. You must have visibility or risk being overlooked.
Important Note: If you are in transition and would like a no-obligation assessment of your job search plan/strategy, contact us at CareerTransitions@JohnGSelf.Com. We will arrange a call with John Self, a national thought leader on conducting a job search in this era of instability for leadership positions.
© 2019 John Gregory Self
Don’t Wait Until You Are Laid Off to Plan for ‘What’s Next’
Reductions in reimbursement will have an impact on your career. It is a mistake to wait to think your “what’s next” when you are sitting across from the Vice President of Human Resources who is outlining your severance benefits.
© 2019 John Gregory Self
I was Laid Off. How Can I Get Around the Search Firms?
Q. I enjoyed your video blog yesterday. I was the CEO of a community hospital that is part of a regional health system. I outperformed on budget and all key metrics but they System decided to consolidate my job with another hospital 45 miles away. That CEO has seniority and they offered him the position. This happened six months ago and I find myself hitting the wall with searches that the big recruiting firms are running. There are some great positions that I am uniquely qualified for but the associates will not even screen me because I am not currently in a CEO position. What are my options?
The good news is that search firms handle only about 30 to 30 percent of all of the recruiting assignments so you have plenty of real estate to work with. Besides, if you are sitting back and waiting on the recruiting companies for your next position, you may have an awfully long wait.
Here are four ideas for you to consider.
First, you cannot send the recruiter or prospective employer a generic resume. You must specifically connect the dots between what they are looking for and where you have been fabulously successful in the past. There cannot be any doubt that your skills, your experience, your record of accomplishment are spot on for the prospective employer.
Second, you must become extremely adept at forcefully communicating your value, how you can lead the prospective employer to greater success. This is not the time for modesty in hopes they will figure it out. They won’t. One line you might consider using is, “I am a ‘safe candidate’ because I have been very successful in doing X, Y and Z of what they need. I can back this up with references who will specifically attest to my skills and my success. Do not take my word for it.” By the way, one of my references is my former boss.”
Third, you have to go the extra mile in researching who is on the Board or the name of the executive who will be making the hiring decision. You must be prepared to finesse the process and get your story to the people who matter. Even if that means bypassing the talent acquisition department or, god forbid, the search consultant, to have someone send a letter of recommendation. If you go that route, the content of the letter should leave little doubt as to your ability and success in producing results.
Finally, you must build a strong presence and brand on LinkedIn. You cannot afford to sit back and let recruiters or consultants who may not know the facts define what happened to you.
Listen, we are talking about your career so you need to pursue a course that is consistent with the facts of your situation. Do not overreach with statements that are not consistent with those facts. Consult with or engage a career transition coach to help you in telling your story more effectively. There are some smart savvy advisors out there. Do not let the recruiters and others get the upper hand. Craft a strategy that is forceful, one that supports who you really are as a leader and not the out-of-work executive who is not up to the task that some people will routinely hang around your neck.
© 2019 John Gregory Self