Back to basics

Written By Naomi Roth-Gaudette
 

With all of the chaos in the world and many people looking for a new role for the first time in a while, I thought I’d talk about starting your search and how to set yourself up for success. These strategies work. They’ve worked for me; I’ve seen them work for others. 

For some of you, these steps are uncomfortable and maybe even downright hard. But I want you to find a job you love. Follow the steps below and see what happens.

If you’ve been with me for a while, some of this may be familiar. But I have a task for you too: Refresh your NRG Talent Network profile. 

Do this if:

  • You signed up a while ago. It’s very possible (and likely) that your list of must haves and nice to haves shifted in the past few months. Let us know so we can continue to tell you about jobs that match your interests. 

  • You don’t remember ever signing up for the NRG Talent Network. 

  • To access the NRG Networking Toolkit.

 

Back to basics: 3 steps to launch your job search

If you are focusing on how many jobs you apply for each week, then my take–this may be controversial to some–is that you are prioritizing the wrong thing. It’s not about how many jobs you apply for, it’s about applying for the right jobs and spending time on your application materials.

You can join all of the cool slack channels and subscribe to every job opening email list you can find. That doesn’t mean you will find the job you really want. 

You will find great opportunities by meeting people, keeping your finger on the pulse of the spaces where you want to be, and listening. I have seen many people fall in love with an org from a distance only to find out that the culture is not as dreamy as they thought or the salary is way off where they want to be. 

In order to hold yourself accountable, say it out loud to a friend, family member, or partner: I will prioritize networking during my job search. 

 

Set a goal for the number of networking meetings you have each week, not the number of jobs you apply to. I recommend setting a goal to get just one person on the phone this week. That might be someone who reported to you in the past or a former intern. It doesn’t have to be the President of the foundation you have been eyeing for your next role. You can even get another job seeker on the phone to exchange information and help one another. 

When setting up your system to track your progress, start with a goal–like talk to 1 person this week–that will help you feel like you landed a win up front. Build on that momentum and keep expanding your goals. 

In about three weeks, I recommend setting the goal of 5-8 meetings/week. If you start now, you will begin to schedule meetings to take place in the next several weeks. Try to get at least 5 meetings on the books for 3 weeks from now. 

Next, make a list of everyone you know. Then make a list of everyone you want to know. Then check LinkedIn and see how many of the people you know are connected to people you want to know. 

When making those connections, don’t forget to pay attention to the people who aren’t on your radar. LinkedIn can be super helpful here. Who is one person removed from your network who is doing interesting work? You can ask for intros and you can also try to reach out to them as well. 

If you need help setting up a system, we created the NRG Networking Toolkit to help you. You can access it for free by signing up for the NRG Talent Network. 

 

I want to be clear: I am not talking about applying for a job and then reaching out to every person at that organization about that job. 

When I talk about networking, I am talking about having conversations more broadly so that when you apply for a job down the road, you have already had a conversation with someone at that organization or you have talked to someone who knows someone. Making those connections first is way easier than applying and then trying to get on people’s radar.

Speaking of getting on people’s radar: the end goal is not the networking meeting. The end goal is to stay top of mind.

That means your system needs to include a plan to track your follow-up. After you meet, follow-up every 6 to 8 weeks. That way, when a job comes online, they will think about you and recommend you for the job, perhaps without you even having to ask. I see that happen all the time.

The people who follow these steps are the ones whose names keep popping up because their friends want to help and they have stayed top of mind in the space where they want to work. 

 

This is not all! We are hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of our openings on the NRG website.

Upcoming Events:

Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all of the roles we are hiring for.

If you aren’t currently a member of the NRG Talent Network, consider joining. The questions take 3 minutes to complete and then we’ll send you job announcements when your criteria (salary, location, etc.) matches the position.

Let’s move,

Naomi

P.S.  If you’d like a partner to help you with your job search strategy, sign up right now for 15 minutes with Kristin to learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you. 

If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! If you received this from a friend, sign up here to receive future “Get Hired'' newsletters. 

 
Naomi Roth-Gaudette
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