Finding a job, the right job can take time and it can be quite hard. During the pandemic that challenge has become exponentially harder for many people. This DIGEST examines the challenges of finding a job during this difficult time with some practical advice.
You Are Not Alone
No matter if you are a new entrant into the workforce or a seasoned senior executive, roles at all levels in many industries and right around the world have been impacted.
Governments are working hard to establish incentives and reboot the economy, getting jobs going again. But if you have recently lost your job all that uncertainty about what life and business is going to look like can make it easy to become overwhelmed.
You may end up feeling that this is the worst time to job search, or that there aren’t even any jobs for the taking. As an executive the feeling maybe exacerbated – who is going to hire a senior person right now?
Know Your Value
While the market is tough companies are still hiring and industries still need you and your skills. Organisations are looking for experienced, innovative minds to help them get through the crisis. Your value is infinite and if you can believe and embrace that the opportunities will appear.
Knowing your value and being crystal clear on what you bring to any role is an important first step (identifying your Geniusand your Purpose will help). But you need to practice. You need a clear elevator pitch on who you are and why you are the best at it. (its also worth reading more about Purpose here).
Mobilise Your Network
Take advantage of every networking opportunity, when you are clear about your purpose many people in your network will be happy to help you. Connect with your network and explain the kinds of roles you are looking for, the characteristics of companies and what you would bring.
It’s amazing the opportunities that arise when you ask people so don’t be afraid to connect and see how you can bring your purpose to creating value for a new organisation.
Be clear about what you are asking about when you reach out, (that might be you are really interested in their company and learning what kind of opportunities might come up in the future as well as briefly discussing your suitability for them).
Treat Your Job Search Like A Job
Searching for a job becomes your job so make sure you tackle it in that way. If you are experienced senior leader you are already completely aware of how to build a strategy, structure your plan of work and track your own deliverables – so just apply that to getting your next role.
Use the time to build your skills there are plenty of free courses running (LinkedIn, Salesforce, Coursera, EdX and many more) so use the available time to build or refresh skills.
Build Your Career Squad
Connect with others on the same journey, together you can pool your energy share stories tips and provide feedback. It will help you to refine and to get clear on your purpose as well.
Your career squad should give you honest but supportive feedback help you when you need introductions or have an interest in a company or industry.
Focus On Sustaining Your Confidence and Positive Mindset
The job search (especially right now) will very likely be fraught with rejection. So do not be disheartened, rejection is not bad. It just means that it wasn’t the right job fit for you. Use these opportunities to learn and practice. These challenges are a natural part of the process and not a reflection of who you are.
Focus on building your energy to tell your story. You want to be invigorated and excited when you interview. Positive energy is really infectious. Leaders always want to hire and work with others who are positive and enthusiastic. Especially during these challenging times.
Key Takeaways
- Know your value be clear about your purpose and your genius.
- Connect through your network and use the network to investigate new career opportunities
- Build and sustain your positive mindset.
This DIGEST of an article from Fast Company This is the secret to finding a job in a tough market By Kalani Leifer Published: 10th November 2020 https://www.fastcompany.com/90573398/the-essential-secret-to-successful-job-hunting-even-in-a-challenging-market? and from Forbes 4 Strategies For Executives Who Are Job Searching During COVID-19 By Laura Garnett Published: 11th May 2020 https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauragarnett/2020/05/11/4-strategies-for-executives-who-are-job-searching-during-covid-19/?sh=5faf01515fee