5 ways to jumpstart your 2021 job search
Job searching can be overwhelming. There are countless digests to sign up for, people to talk to, programs to look at -- you name it. It’s easy to get bogged down going through it all, rather than taking action to get you closer to a new job. So, I wanted to offer some actionable advice on how you can jumpstart your job search in the New Year. In no particular order:
Use the full power of LinkedIn. First things first, make sure your profile reads like your resume. And don’t just list where you work -- share your accomplishments. Then, take advantage of LinkedIn’s tools by plugging in all your email addresses to build out your connections.
Set a goal for networking meetings in February. Like training for a marathon, you need to set incremental goals for how you’ll land a job. It’s also important to focus on goals that are in your control (number of people you reach out to/meet with) vs. what’s out of your hands (number of job offers you get). Break it down by setting a goal for how many meetings you’ll do each week.
Stay on top of jobs that you’re in the running for. Say, for example, that you’ve made it past the phone screen stage for a job. After you’ve sent a thank-you note to the interviewer, keep an eye on what the organization is up to by setting up a Google news alert. If the people you interviewed with get quoted in an article, send a quick “congrats” if it makes sense. These little things can go a long way to show that you’re invested.
Practice your personal story. Research tells us that recruiters make decisions in the first five minutes of an interview. So, make sure you have a good answer to the “tell me about yourself” question. (Note: If you want to throw a little money at honing your personal story, you can get some professional help from us! Sign up here.)
Schedule a weekly accountability block with people in your network. Block off 30-60 minutes a week to send out individual updates on your job search and ask to have a virtual coffee with folks who have supported you in the past. The idea here is to keep these people in the loop, but also continue getting you in front of people who can be helpful. Remember to ask in each meeting who they’ve been impressed with, and you should come out of it with ideas for three additional meetings.
Here are the top three jobs we’re featuring this week:
Community Manager at Only One, $43,500-$65,000, Remote.
Chief of Campaigns at The Center for Popular Democracy; $142,500-$165,000; Flexible location.
Finance Manager at Narrative 4; $65,000+; Flexible Location in Eastern Time Zone.
In case you missed our last email, we recently launched a pilot job coaching program. If that sounds interesting, check out the options on our website and get in touch with us.
As always, if you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! Additionally, if you have feedback or an idea for a future newsletter topic, let us know.
Naomi