The Number One Thing You Need In Any Jobhunt
we need it now, we need a town
we need a place to pitch, we need a mound
for now, I'm just a lazy boy
big dreaming in my la-z-boy
jay-z, american dreaming
**Exhales** the job hunt.
Search for a project manager position on any job board and there’s plenty opportunities. Excitement ensues, or maybe anxiety. Sorting through all of the listings can be overwhelming. And it feels even worse when, as you read them, you realize they require skills you don’t have, certifications you haven’t heard of, or are in industries you don’t even recognize. In frustration, you close the browser window and put the “hunt” off for another day. Or, determined to score some interviews, you apply to each and every one of them, no matter what specifics they ask for. We’ve all been there.
The number one thing you need in any job hunt is a strategy. That’s right, a game plan. A game plan that identifies where you are now, where you’d like to be, and exactly what route you’ll take to get there.
The 'where are you now' part is easy. Often times we are where we’d rather not be. Maybe our boss is a certified nut, our coworkers drain us more than they contribute to our development, or our company is tanking and we want to jump ship before it does. Or maybe we’re just driven by our own personal growth - the desire to develop our skillset, increase our salary or have a job that expands our responsibilities and our impact.
No matter the situation, it’s important to identify what exactly it is that you want in your next role - the ‘where you want to be’ part of your gameplan. This is truly the fun part of job hunting. It’s like “blue sky” thinking if you will. You have to ask yourself the questions and really nail down what your next job looks like for you.
Effective questions to ask include:
What kind of company is it?
What industry?
What is the culture like?
What’s the dress code?
Is it a multi-national company or a local non-profit?
What kind of work-life balance does it support?
These questions really get at the heart of what you value, and in turn, the attributes you could evaluate each company by, even before you apply. In some cases the job description may be appealing, but during the interview, things just feel off. Different. Unsettling. You’re not a good fit for the company, and sometimes when we’re honest, we realize the company isn’t a good fit for us.
Often this is because our values don’t align.
This is why a strategy is important. With the right tools, you can identify what employers to target and get a feel for who they are way before you type the first letter of your application. A bit of forethought can make the job hunting process much more effective, and hopefully less stressful.
One dream at a time.