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How To Execute The 10 Elements of “The Long Search”
Yesterday, I talked about preparing for “The Long Search”.
I’m assuming that you’ve all started your prioritized list of what you’re looking for in your current “Dream Job”. Things that you’re striving toward, not running from.
Since you’ve finished that, today we’ll talk in more detail exactly how to execute “The Long Search” in order to find that perfect place for you.
Super San Francisco jobs await you at San FranJobs.com.
THE 10 ELEMENTS OF “THE LONG SEARCH”
You may have already guessed that “The Long Search” for the position / company that is “just right” for you at this stage in your career is going to take you awhile. As I mentioned yesterday, I would expect to double or even triple the “1 month for every $10,000 of salary” rule in order to find this position.
It’s going to take awhile, but here’s the way to approach it:
- Research - You need to find the company that you want to work for. The longer your list from yesterday, the more you need to research companies to find out if they match what you’re looking for.
Go to the library and research local companies in your industry. Look at every “Best Places To Work” list that you can find. Keep a running list of companies that seem to meet your requirements so that whenever you run into someone that knows the company, you can ask them all about it.
- Networking - Both in-person and online networking can get you in front of a lot of people who have all worked at multiple companies and have contact with a lot more. People involved in networking are (usually) interested in helping other people out, but most networkers don’t tell anyone how they can be helped.
Let them know that you’re doing “The Long Search” and the type of opportunity that you’re looking for, just in case they come across it. They’ll stick it in the back of their head and remember you if they run across something like it. It’s like having your own pack of bloodhounds that you set loose on your “dream job”.
- Interviewing Friends / Colleagues / Strangers - Whenever you talk to your friends and co-workers, ask them what the best company they ever worked for was and why. Ask them what the best company to work at that is they’ve ever heard about.
Heck, ask anyone. When you’re in line, talk to the people around you. Stuck on a plane? Start a conversation. Buying a cup of coffee? Talk to the cashier. They’re all people who have had a wide variety of experiences that you’ll never get to have. And you can take advantage of all of those experiences with a simple question.
- Resume Preparation - You’re going to have to keep your resume ready and up-to-date. (shameless plug) I’m completing a book on how to optimize your resume (after it’s been written - there are a thousand books on that) to be found by employers who would never post their jobs in the open. Look for my announcing it next week. (/shameless plug).
In any case, you need an up-to-date resume kept in easy reach (thumbdrive?) to give to anyone who asks. Please don’t force it on anyone or send it unsolicited. That’s a waste of your time.
- Resume Saturation - Now that you have a great, up-to-date, optimized resume, you need to make sure that it is plastered everywhere an employer might look for an employee. Job Boards, your own website, whatever.
Just make sure that people can find you if they’re looking for you!
- Befriending Recruiters - Try to get to know a lot of recruiters in your space. Let them know that they probably don’t have the perfect job for you right now, but if they happen to hear of it, to let you know.
At the same time, become a recruiter’s best friend by being available to refer people to them on jobs that they have open. They’ll remember you. And, for the loser recruiters out there that don’t, at least you’ll have helped a bunch of friends get better jobs. That’s got to be worth a couple of lunches each, right?
- Cold Calling - Yes, really. If there are companies that sound perfect to you, cold call the managers over your areas. Let them know your situation, that you’ve done a lot of research, and that they seem perfect. You know that they probably don’t have an opening, but you’d love to work there as soon as they do.
Oh, and do they know of any openings that might not have been posted for someone like you? And check back with them regularly (but not too regularly - maybe once every month or two) to show them that you’re serious and to keep your name in front of them.
- Becoming the Interviewer - Using these techniques, you’re going to get a bunch of people coming to you with jobs that sound good. However, since you know what you’re looking for in good detail, you need to become the interviewer of the company.
Find out about all of the areas that you’re looking for. Talk to employees as well as HR and managers. Get the straight skinny on the company so that you know if they qualify for another round of interviews with you!
- Losing Early - Don’t be afraid to turn off companies. In your search for “the right thing”, you’re going to ask a lot of questions and some might get them a little cranky. That’s fine - you’ve found out what you need to know.
The trick is to waste as little of your time as possible on most of these companies. Insist on a short phone interview first (if they don’t suggest it first) and find out some of the major things that you’re looking for. If they don’t pass the test, don’t be afraid to say, “Yeah - I don’t think this is going to be right for me. Here are some other people you might want to call…”
- Standing Firm - You’re probably also going to be tempted to take some of the jobs that you hear about / are interviewed for, even though they aren’t the right thing. Remember what I said yesterday:
“As long as you’re letting chance dictate your job moves, you’re probably going to end up in a company as crappy as the one you’re in now. So, you might as well stay put at the crappy company you know while you’re looking for the right company.”
10 Simple elements, but a lot of work. This is what it takes to find the company where you’re happy. So, how badly do you really want to be happy at work?
Enjoy the Search!
Dan
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Daniel R. Sweet
Chief Cook-And-Bottle-Washer / Technical Recruiter
FRACAT.com - Free Resume and Career Toolbox
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrsweet
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