Navigating your job search is much like conducting a campaign for yourself. After all, your job search happens in stages. At GetFive, we believe there are two ways of looking at the stages of a job search:
1. Job Search as a Whole
- Stage 1: In the early days, you are networking, which then leads to more serious conversations with the right people.
- Stage 2: These connections then lead to conversations with the right people about specific roles.
2. Opportunity – Specific Job Search
- Stage 1: You target a specific opportunity and initially network with people who know people at that company.
- Stage 2: This leads to conversations with the right people, even if a position is not currently open.
- Stage 3: When that position opens and you get a call from the hiring manager, he or she becomes a stage 3 contact. You can have stage 1, 2, or 3 opportunities at any time during your job search.
But how do you measure the quality of your campaign?
No matter which way you look at it, or which stage you’re in, the point is to become an insider in the industry you target. Prove to your contacts and interviewers that you are capable of going above and beyond in the role. You want people to say, “I wish I had an opening. I’d sure like to have someone like you here.” Then you know you’re interviewing well and talking to the right people.
And what about quantity?
The key is to find a lot of people who would hire you if they could. When you have six to ten opportunities in the works, you will be more attractive to hiring managers, interview better and lower your chance of losing momentum if your best lead falls through. When you have six to ten possibilities, you stand a better chance of receiving multiple offers and landing the job you want.
Keeping up momentum
Building a campaign is all about focusing on the situation at hand, rather than a specific technique or tactic. In your promotional campaign to get interviews, you’ll meet people who are in a position to hire or recommend you. Keep in touch with them so they will:
- Think of you when a job opens up.
- Invite you to create a job for yourself.
- Upgrade an opening to better suit you.
- Give you information to help you in your search.
Finding the job you want is all about conducting a good campaign. No matter your target opportunities, make sure you measure the effectiveness of your campaign with quality and quantity, and keep going until you get a satisfying offer.
