By Satish Sarangarajan |
Satish Sarangarajan offers ways to keep perspective when facing the many highs and lows of the job hunt.
Some of the most interesting and profound times in your career are likely to come when you’re in a transition. Times when there’s less of the friendly and familiar, be it at work, in your daily routine or even thought patterns and more of the unknown.
One of the greatest things you can do for yourself when you’re off the 9-5 treadmill is to take a break, particularly if you are hitting the job hunt trail involuntarily. It is important to work through any feelings of anger or loss and get into the right frame of mind. Do not rush through this phase.
The next step, which is a key determinant of your future trajectory, is about asking yourself the right questions. When you are on the job hunt you quickly realize there is an entire economy ready and waiting to help you with the how — how to start a business, how to write better cover letters or even how to get whiter teeth — but there is only one person who can help you with the why: you.
Some helpful questions include:
- How much does work define your identity? Why is that? Is that OK?
- Is there a gap between what you like to do vs. what you’re good at? Why is that?
- Are your skills where the job market wants them to be?
- Why do I want to apply for that new job?
Some very basic, sensible questions most people would have figured out already, right? Not always, it turns out. So much of our lives run on autopilot – building a career, raising a family, paying the bills, etc. – we end up going breathlessly from task to task and never get to ask ourselves these fundamental questions. A transition is the universe telling you to slow down, catch a breath, look at the patterns and assess yourself before you begin the next leg of your career.
Here are a few things that have proven to work well during a transition.
Networking
At the risk of stating the obvious, networking is the single biggest determinant in you landing your next role. Those coffee chats are a great way of staying in touch with friends and former colleagues and figuring out current industry trends and hiring patterns. They’re also practice runs for your positioning statement (“So, tell me about yourself?”) and exit statements (“What happened over at Old Company?”) for in-person interviews.
It’s little wonder that studies show an overwhelming majority (70%-85%) of people landed their current jobs because of networking.
When you’re looking for a job, momentum is important. Build and maintain a pipeline of coffee and lunch meetings a few weeks in advance: start with your friends, neighbours and former co-workers; reach out to your direct connections on LinkedIn and move to their connections. Do not hesitate to ask for introductions.
Hiring manager, HR managers and recruiters
There are two kinds of meetings: ones with people in the know of a job opportunity, and ones with people that help you get there. It is important to understand who you are meeting with, what their interests are and how they can help.
- Hiring manager: Facetime with someone who is or will be hiring is the most high-potential meeting you will have. Not only will they know your area of work and be up to speed on the latest trends, but chances are also if they are sitting down for a coffee with you, they’re mildly interested. Impressing a hiring manager is the quickest, surest way of landing your next role.
- HR managers: HR managers can be influential in pushing your application forward or sharing the latest industry updates on current hiring trends. They bring a more organizational focus to the conversation, which is great for scoping out where the opportunities lie, given your age and experience. (Be sure to ask them for feedback on your resume. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.)
- Recruiters: Recruiters can be a valuable source of new opportunities. Since recruiters, for the most part, get paid only when candidates get placed, their focus is squarely on the openings they are currently filling. The conversations may seem transactional, but they’re a great resource if you’re looking to land quickly. (And since it’s a numbers game, the more recruiters you hit up, the better your chances.)
Skills upgrade
If you’re on the job hunt after a very long time, chances are you are going to need some degree of skills upgrade. Fortunately, there are a whole host of options at hand. From going back to college to taking specific courses at a Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC) to address any skills gap, the choices are endless.
Take notes
One of the things that go a long way is maintaining meticulous records. This is helpful not only as a record of your conversations it also helps you with follow-ups and tracking the daisy chain of meetings that will eventually lead you to your next role.
I have personally known executives and senior leaders in transition who would devote an entire day of the week just to keep records, update their address book and send out coffee requests and thank you emails.
Your most valuable resource
A job hunt can last anywhere from a few months to up to a year for senior positions. It is important to jealously guard and nurture the most valuable resource you have during this phase – you. Join a gym, or a soccer team, volunteer at a soup kitchen or on the board of a charitable organization. Do anything to keep your juices flowing and restore your sense of self-worth.
Sure, your professional life needs attention but you’re still a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife and friend; prioritize your time and focus on these relationships, as they will be around no matter where you get your paycheque from.
As my yoga guru says, the universe you create for yourself is the result of your intention and your attention. And when you’re able to practice enlightened detachment, separating your identity of self from your situation, focusing only on things you control, you know you’ve won. The result is just a matter of time.
Godspeed!
Satish Sarangarajan is a communications professional with a background in finance and technology. A former print and online journalist, Satish has a strong interest in technology and how it will reshape communications in the future. Connect with Satish on LinkedIn here. By Cassandra Cleveland As a new mom and communications professional, returning to work after maternity leave brought a wave of mixed emotions. The excitement of rejoining the professional realm was tempered by the realization that the communications landscape had evolved during my time away, leaving me with a potential knowledge gap. Determined to bridge […] By Linda Bicho-Vachon I’ve always been a learner. In my former role, I completed my association’s certification program and stayed updated by attending industry seminars. The certification demonstrated that I had the skill and expertise to do my job and gave me confidence to grow my career. When I decided to transition to a […] By Prachi Shailendra As a communications professional who embarked on the Canadian journey in 2019 with over six years of international experience in corporate communications, I vividly recall the challenges and triumphs of breaking into the local job market. I soon realized that for newcomers, success often hinges on more than just a polished […] By Andrea Walasek Dear Readers, It is a pleasure to introduce myself as the Editor-in-Chief of IABC/Toronto’s Communicator publication for 2023-2024. As a dedicated professional who has worked in Public Relations for over 19 years and a proud volunteer with IABC/Toronto, I am happy to bring you the Winter 2024 issue, focused on a topic […] By Matisse Hamel-Nelis Matisse Hamel-Nelis reminds us that IDEA are more than just buzzwords; they are vital principles that can transform the world of communications. In the ever-evolving world of communications, the principles IDEA are gaining increasing significance. When applied effectively, they help foster a more enriched, engaging and impactful communication environment – enhancing meaningful internal […]Return to the Spring 2020 Issue of Communicator
READ MORE
Navigating the return to work: A new mom’s journey into communications upskilling
Up your game by Upskilling
New immigrant jobseeker? What’s your strategy to success?
Letter from the Editor
The IDEA Framework: Enhancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility in the Communications Profession