5 Key Milestones for Your Job Search
It can feel really overwhelming to start a job search.
For a lot of mission driven professionals, there are more questions than answers before you get started.
You might be curious about a change, worry about your qualifications, feel burned out in your current job or just not know where to start.
Or you could experience ALL of that.
And this means that there is plenty of time for uncertainty and fear to set in and further derail your efforts.
No matter how tempting it might be, you can’t do everything all at once.
We’ve found that it’s much easier to help our clients focus on what’s within their control by streamlining the process using milestones.
These mini goals set you up for long term success, give you a way to focus your time and energy, and each one is worth celebrating along the way.
Here are five milestones that I hope will help you streamline your own job search efforts.
Milestone #1: You know what you want more of, what you want less of, and why certain opportunities are compelling or not to you.
It makes sense for most job seekers to start here.
When it comes to your job search, you don’t need to know everything.
But you do need enough information to get started.
This is important because you want to be able to:
Understand and share how your goals and skills have evolved
Select and prioritize roles to pursue
Identify common threads that different kinds of roles share so that you don’t feel so all over the place.
Curate questions to ask so you can better identify red flags and green flags
Set boundaries and you have expectations
A simple list that describes what you want “more of” as well as what you want “less of” can help you start articulating critical aspects of your search - without feeling like you’re pigeonholing yourself.
You’ll know you’ve unlocked this milestone when you can easily review job postings, identify roles that appear compelling, share your goals and interests more confidently with colleagues and friends, and rule out or de-prioritize anything that feels like not quite the right fit.
Milestone #2: You can articulate your relevant and transferable experience and/or generate interest in your candidacy by using your resume.
Nearly all of our clients get traction in their job search by applying cold online.
You want to think of your resume, cover letters, portfolios, LinkedIn profiles, etc as assets.
They should work for you.
And the key to having them do so is to have an excellent command of your own experience and an understanding of what other people are looking for.
This milestone is all about bringing these two lenses together to create job search collateral that generates interviews and conversations.
It's not enough to show up (especially when you're applying online) and say “Here's everything I've ever done!”
We want to look at the job postings and get a real clear sense of what people need and then we want to frame our narrative in our applications around other people's needs, not just us.
This is why we start with Milestone 1 - so we can own who we are and what we have to offer.
Milestone 2 is about communicating how that helps people, teams and organizations meet their goals and needs.
Here are some ways that you can practice unlocking Milestone number two:
Review 3-5 job postings and take a look at the qualifications. What are the differences in each posting? How can edit your resume to accommodate these differences?
You can practice telling your stories out loud like you were going through the interview process. Consider how you can position the stories to address the nuances of each role.
Pay attention to what you’re learning as an applicant or candidate. Do you have inside knowledge? Did you learn more about the needs from an interview? You’ll want to take note of that so that you can be responsive!
Let’s remember that being responsive isn’t about twisting ourselves in knots and saying yes to everything. It’s about being engaged, responsive and strategic in our efforts!
(We are exceptionally good at helping people craft narratives that demonstrate their qualifications so if you need help with that, please check out our resume writing services here!!)
Milestone #3: Learning to ask for help along the way
People review resumes.
People make introductions.
People serve as references.
People interview candidates.
People make job offers.
Needless to say, the ability to communicate effectively and build/nurture relationships can really impact your ability to connect with professional opportunities.
Asking for help, building new relationships, meeting new people - these aren’t usually our clients favorite things to do.
But learning to cultivate and engage with a professional network means having colleagues, connections and allies who can:
Provide insight and introductions when we’re looking for new opportunities.
Offer encouragement
Serve as a referral
I encourage our clients to find affinity groups and professional development organizations where you can meet people you share common interests with. This makes it a lot easier to build authentic and productive professional relationships.
And don’t forget - even if you’re looking for help, there are lots of opportunity for you to share your insight and experience to your fellow job seekers along the way, as well.
Milestone #4: Learning to ask for what you need and/or negotiate.
Most people treat the job search like an audition.
But a great job is about a great fit and you must be discerning and potentially, advocate for yourself.
Here are some ways that you can do that for yourself:
Asking for an interview time that works better for your schedule
Clarifying the salary range or hiring timeline
Letting people know the salary budget is at the bottom of your range but you’re still interested in the role
Taking a moment to gather your thoughts before responding to a thoughtful interview question
Letting people know that you are anticipating another offer
Using the interview to ask about what matters to you
Inquiring about poor Glassdoor reviews
Negotiating on the offer
Don’t yes your job search to death!
Testing the waters by holding boundaries or communicating expectations can help ensure that you end up in a job that’s a great fit.
(If you struggle to advocate for yourself in your job search, check out our Align or Elevate service where we support professionals in the job search process.)
Milestone #5: Learning to walk away from opportunities that are not the right fit.
Of course, we want our clients to generate opportunities they are excited to accept.
But that’s not going to be every opportunity.
Learning to say no is a job search milestone worth celebrating because it helps job seekers hold out for something that feels much more aligned.
Remember, you know your priorities more than anyone else - so you get to decide what’s worth saying yes to (and what’s not!).
I’ve had clients take on part time work just so that they could be as selective as possible.
If you can swing it, it can help give you the flexibility and bandwidth to hang on for something that feels right.
We work with people not just to get hired, but to get hired on purpose, for something that has impact - and also something that has meaning.
That’s not every role. It’s not every opportunity.
When I say we can't simply impress our way to a new job , this is what I mean.
Here’s the important thing about milestones…
Each one deserves to be celebrated.
We don’t have to wait until there’s an offer for us to accept.
We can celebrate our effort, as we build greater confidence in our experience and target roles, re-connect with colleagues and build new relationships, and move towards the ultimate goal of landing an aligned and intentional new role.