If you’ve been one of the thousands of people laid off in the recent downsizings or are just concerned about the safety of your position, you’ve likely started thinking about commencing a job search.
When the economy, stock and cryptocurrency markets are being battered and there’s fear over a recession, the impact of runaway inflation and possible stagflation, it makes the job search significantly harder. Companies start cutting costs, which contributes to additional layoffs and hiring freezes. You’ll enter a tougher job market, competing against a lot of other people. Compared to your co-workers and friends who happily found jobs a few months ago in the Great Resignation, now you will find it won’t be as easy. To prepare for a search during challenging times, you need to have a solid game plan.
What Do You Want To Do Next?
Before you worry about writing a résumé, think deeply about the type of job and career you desire. Come up with a compelling reason as to why you want to get this new job. It could be to get out from under a bad boss, the need to earn more money because inflation is cutting into your budget or you’ve lost a job and need to get back to work and earn a steady paycheck.
You could be financially comfortable, but desire to pivot to another type of career or learn new skills to reinvent yourself. Making this a purpose-driven endeavor will provide you with the motivation and drive to deal with all of the rejections and obstacles that will come your way.
Be Careful Before You Make The Job Switch
Just because there are layoffs at your firm doesn’t mean you have to immediately jump ship. Sometimes, after the cuts are over and you’re still standing, there may be opportunities to advance within the organization, as the bottleneck at the top has been removed.
Before interviewing, do some due diligence to gather market intelligence in your field of expertise. Right now, a large portion of the downsizings and hiring freezes are focused on the tech, venture-backed startups and cryptocurrency sectors.
Gain a sense of the job market by speaking confidentially with colleagues, religiously reading the financial press to see what is happening, watching the news and listening to podcasts that discuss the job market, economy and other factors that will help you gain a feel of what areas may be holding strong, and those that may be in trouble.
Your industry may be doing relatively well, and you might want to wait it out and see what’s happening before you impetuously switch jobs. You don’t want to risk being the last one hired and the first one fired when things go badly.
Treat Your Job Search As A Job
Your job search should become a second job if you’re currently working. If you are in between roles, the job hunt is your primary job.
The biggest challenge previously faced by many people was deciding which of the numerous offers you have would be the best fit. Now, you’ll be happy if you can get an interview. This new, more difficult job market calls for devoting a substantial amount of time and effort. Every day, you’ll need to allocate a substantial amount of time toward the job search.
Here Are The Core Things You Need To Do Daily
Networking
One of the most important things to do in a job search is networking. The term, unfortunately, carries a bad connotation. It makes people think of awkward networking events. You wear a sticker with your name on it and greet strangers with a phony smile and sweaty handshake.
Modern online networking is different. Make a list of all of the people within your circle that can help you with the job search. These are the folks who may have connections with the target companies you are interested in working for, actually work at the organizations or are well connected with a wide variety of people. Tap into your college alumni. Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. If you attend religious services and social events at churches, temples or mosques, let people know you are open to new opportunities. At parties and gatherings, don’t be shy; tell people you’re actively searching and ask for any potential leads.
On LinkedIn, seek out recruiters, potential hiring managers, human resources and in-house corporate talent acquisition recruiters. Send them messages indicating that you would like to work for their company.
To build your online network, send invites to people within your sector. Once connected, politely ask if they could help point you in the right direction. Reply to other members’ postings and write your own content. If you’re brave, LinkedIn offers a function to write articles on the platform and you can upload and share videos. In the posts, share your skills, talents, background and experience. Also, openly discuss your job search journey, as it will resonate with people and show your human side.
LinkedIn offers a feature that you can place on your profile. It’s an #opentowork banner in a green circle around your photo. This signals to everyone that you are actively searching and motivated to find a new job. In addition to the banner, you should explain the type of role you’re seeking and why your background is a great fit for those roles.
Get Your Résumé And Social Media Up To Date
Once you’ve done your homework, it’s time to update your LinkedIn profile and write a résumé. If you are uncomfortable or don’t know what to do, reach out to career coaches and résumé writers online.
Also, make sure to review your Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and other apps and platforms you’re on to make sure that you haven’t said anything inflammatory or indecent that could cause a hiring manager to pass on your candidacy.
Reach Out To Recruiters And Career Coaches
Search for recruiters who specialize in your space. You can find them on LinkedIn and by asking co-workers who have procured great jobs within your field who they used. Check out job boards to find recruiters who post a large number of roles that are relevant to your line of work. Once you’ve isolated a handful of recruiters, reach out to them to schedule an in-person or online meeting to forge a relationship.
What You Need To Do Every Day
Find job sites that specialize in your expertise. Don’t rely on only one source. Make it a practice to check out job boards and online job listings every day to see what’s new.
In addition to your core résumé, tailor your résumé to address the specific needs of the job you’re applying to. Add a cover letter that highlights your achievements and offers specific facts the company should know, such as whether you’re open to remote, hybrid or in-office work or even plan on relocating.
Check in with your recruiters regularly. You don’t want to be too pushy. Recruiters are paid by the companies to find and place talent. They are financially incentivized to find you a job. If you don’t hear from them, it’s like they don’t have a role at the moment. It’s good practice to refer someone who could be a fit for one of your recruiter’s roles. They’ll appreciate the referral and it motivates them to help you out.
Every day, check in with people in your network. However, similar to recruiters, you don’t want to pester them. Space out the contact, so they don’t feel that you’re becoming a nuisance.
Go over your elevator pitch so you have it down pat. Role-play commonly asked interview questions, so you’ll be prepared for the tricky ones. Read blogs and books about the interviewing process. Study what is going on in your field and ascertain who is hiring and who is firing. Purchase new interview attire. Maintain a log of what jobs you’ve applied for and the names of the individuals you’ve been in touch with.
Mindset Matters
During tough times, you’ll need to stay positive. Avoid victimizing yourself. Think of all your past achievements and victories. Try to disregard the negative thoughts that pop into your head. Don’t ruminate over a bad interview. Instead, focus on how you can improve and the next opportunity.
Make sure you take some time to reward yourself for hitting your benchmark goals. Take out your family to celebrate a good interview. Treat a recruiter or friend to an after-work beer for introducing you to a new opportunity. Take time to decompress and relax. You need some downtime to gather your mental, emotional and physical strengths to keep moving forward.
Source: Forbes
