6 steps to a successful job search campaign
Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash
A plan for your job search is not just a good to have – it’s essential!
It needn’t be complicated or fancy, just something that will help you to stay on track and keep you motivated when you’re having a bad day.
Gone are the days when you could just call a recruiter, have a quick interview and start on Monday. At your level, it can take 6+ months to find and land a suitable role, perhaps longer.
In this post, I’ll outline a six-step approach to keep you and your job search energised.
It's a rinse and repeat method which you can use whenever you’re weighing up your next career steps. There’s also a FREE cheat sheet to accompany the post which you can download and save.
You & your job search
About you
You are a senior-level professional about to embark on a job search / in the middle of a job search / at the end of your tether with your search.
You’ve been reaching out to recruiters and applying for jobs online but you’re not getting the responses you want.
You’ve contacted people in your network but your leads have run dry.
You’re an expert in your field, you’ve been promoted and headhunted over the years, you’ve never had to go looking for a job before.
You feel overlooked by recruiters and you’ve started applying for jobs you could have done 10 years back.
The reality of job hunting
The biggest problem with job hunting is that you don’t feel in control!
You never know for sure which companies are hiring.
You don’t know which recruiters are handling suitable roles.
You're not even sure if you're getting honest feedback.
Instead of wasting your precious time and energy worrying about these matters, focus on what you can control – your search strategy, how you market your experience, how you position and sell your expertise.
Your job search campaign
If you’re an Excel lover make yourself a spreadsheet, if you’re a notetaker get a notebook. Don’t leave your thoughts and questions floating around in the ether or on scraps of paper. Whenever you feel lost or distracted from your goals keep coming back to your plan.
Step one – What’s your GOAL?
What are your options and the potential roles that you could do based on your expertise and experience?
What type of cultures do you thrive in?
What size company suits you best?
What do you want to learn more about and what can you contribute?
*If this first step is your sticking point – get in touch. We can thrash this out together in a Career Breakthrough session.
Step two – Target Companies
Use your goals to inform this next step… what companies do you want on your hit list?
Think location, size, culture and leadership as you map out your targets. Narrow your list down to your top ten or five for starters.
Step three – Research
Now you have your target list– it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty.
Check out the leadership team, recent news, follow social media activity, products, services, brand. How have they responded and adapted to the pandemic?
Step four – Network
Who are your well-wishers and trusted allies?
Can any of your connections introduce you to your top target companies?
Step five – Recruiters
Compile a list of the best headhunters in your sector, ask your trusted network and contacts for their go-to recruiter recommendations. Who do you know that could recommend you to new recruiters?
Step six – Your next step plan
Gather up your research and make your next steps action plan. Follow it, track your progress.
Bonus – Reframe your job search
Instead of waiting for the phone to ring, checking your emails more times than is necessary and chasing recruiters for feedback, invest your time and energy into your plan.
Taking a strategic approach, creative problem solving, collaborating with others, weighing up opportunities, self-assessment – all the skills you’ve used at work – It's time to try them out on your own project!
Download your FREE cheat sheet
Further reading:
What to do when you’re searching for a new job and you’ve run out of leads
You’re not a failure – it’s your job search that’s failed, not you!
How to use your redundancy to upgrade your career
The Career Accelerator – will it work for me?
ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, former Executive Headhunter and I help senior executives and leaders to land great jobs and be successful at work through 1:1 coaching.
I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.
If you’re ready for straight-talk and career guidance get in touch – let's start the conversation.
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