Once you have a good sense of yourself, you are ready to begin to plan your search.
Career Change Guide Preview: Recommended Actions following Chapter 5 – Stay or Leave
Decide if you want to leave.
- If you share the values and culture of your current employer, try to work something out.
- Consider discussing your feelings with your boss.
- Possibly meet with peers in other departments and see if there are any opportunities of interest.
If you decide to leave:
- Continue to do your best work while you are there.
- Strengthen your relationships with those you respect.
- Find out your employer’s and government’s unemployment policies.
- Leave in the best way you can.
Start your search well.
- If short of funds, try to get some part-time work.
- Be positive, especially with your family.
- Consider yourself to be embarking on a path of exploration and discovery.
Recommended Actions following Chapter 6 – Your Search Plan
Review your thinking about your priorities with regard to where you work next, especially:
- What is most important to you.
- The values and culture of where you want to work.
- Your competencies and preferred role.
- The contributions you want to make.
Develop a new or revised resume. Resume Template
- Have the objective state what you want to do.
- Show specific competencies, three at the most.
- Give accomplishments with metrics for each job.
- Make your Education Section brief and factual.
- Have the Other section give a broader sense of who you are, your interests and involvements.
- Prepare to answer potential questions.
Identify and select your references.
- Explain what you are looking to do and why.
- Show appreciation for their support.
- Periodically update them on your progress.
Create your Elevator Pitch.
- Prepare a brief statement of what you want to do next, qualifications, and contributions you could make.
- If appropriate, ask for suggestions.
Determine the market for your services.
- Your prior compensation is a good starting point.
- Use surveys & websites.
- Contact anyone you think could help get current information.
Identify industries and organizations with products, and/or services where you might want to work.
- Meet with seasoned people you respect to get their thoughts and referrals.
- Explore any areas you think could be interesting.
- Stay open minded and keep at it.
Recommended Actions following Chapter 7 – Your Network
Identify and make lists of people whom you think could help you find opportunities.
- People you know from work, recently and in the past.
- People who have a broader perspective, such as professionals in service industries and community leaders.
- Friends and family from all aspects of your life.
Prioritize each list in a way that makes sense for you.
- Include each person’s name, phone number, email and perhaps organization.
- Organize yourself and keep good records.
Prepare a short script for your meetings.
- Review your objectives for your meetings.
- Prepare a basic script.
Begin your networking by calling potential sources of leads. Be organized and persistent.
- If you feel uncertain, start with people with whom you feel most comfortable and ask for feedback.
- Then broaden your networking as you gain experience and confidence.
- Seek referrals for job leads and sources.
- Make networking something you do every day.
In your meetings with sources:
- Let the person know that you appreciate his/her meeting with you and ask if he/she has any time constraints.
- Give a summary of your situation and thoughts about it.
- Ask what is happening in his/her world and what opportunities he/she sees.
- Ask if he/she has any suggestions or referrals.
- Always follow up your meetings with a note or e-mail thanking him/her.
Actions for continuing to network:
- Set up meetings with those to whom you have been referred.
- Keep records of people you meet.
- Make weekly plans for all that you are doing.
- Periodically review what you have learned and make any changes or redirections you think are appropriate.
Recommended Actions following Chapter 8 – Other Search Approaches
Develop and utilize a LinkedIn account.
- State your current position and/or the position you are pursuing with a title you think would be picked up by search engines.
- In describing your experience and accomplishments give metrics where you can, but no embellishments.
- Include a formal photograph of yourself.
- Begin connecting with LinkedIn’s services.
Visit and explore other websites mentioned in this chapter.
- Explore both monster.com and careerbuilders.com and submit your info on opportunities that look interesting.
- Check out Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com, and Craigslist.
Answer ads and/or send letters without referrals as appropriate.
- Search publications that you think are likely to post ads for opportunities of interest.
- Respond to postings that look right for you.
- Write to people you want to meet but to whom you have no connection. Try to get meetings.
- Look for and respond to job posts at websites of organizations of interest.
Contact search firms that you feel are appropriate.
- Mail a resume to members of appropriate search firms.
- If you are a senior manager or executive, send your resume to bluesteps.com to get visibility with small search firms.
Develop a search plan that includes:
- Networking as your primary activity.
- Visiting and posting on LinkedIn and other websites.
- Going to meetings and appropriate events.
- Contacting search consultants.
- Answering ads.
- Approaching people and organizations of interest where you do not have an introduction.
- Making time for your personal relationships.
Space in the back of the book is available for a more detailed plan then you could put on the following page.
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