Starting your new job search

In this episode, Kat and Liz talk about finding a new job. So you're looking for a new job, right? First of all, are you sure you want to jump? There may be advantages to staying. Next, do you know what you're really looking for in a job?

It's a good time to take a good look in the mirror and talk to your informal board of advisors. What kinds of patterns do you have in your job history: Which jobs did you like? How did they play to your strengths? How did you find them? What is your life like now - can you handle a commute? travel? What patterns do you tend to repeat, for better or worse?

It's also a good time to know what you want. What kinds of companies do you like to work for? What sizes, what cultures, what locations? What kinds of values do you want the company to have? What benefits aren't important to you?

Now that you know what you want, you need to prepare. What does your resume look like? LinkedIn? Professional outposts like blogs or GitHub? Is everything polished, cleaned up, and up to date?

And now as you start to ramp up your connections with your professional network - how do you manage that? And what about your personal network outside your professional life - does that come into play? One thing is clear - you are not going to find that job quickly if you stay at home. Remember, though, that you will need patience and it's going to be a vulnerable period of time where you need to take care of yourself! You have to keep the end goal in mind.

Get your elevator pitch ready, but make sure it's crisp that it is not too negative! Most of the work going into finding a new job starts before you ever send out a resume.

Finding a job can be tough. Remember to be kind to yourself, to keep your eye on the target, and that every interview is one closer to your offer!

If you have any questions about your job search for Liz and Kat, just use the Contact page on this site.