Introduction
There’s nothing like jumping into a new position, whether you’re just starting out in your career, or making a change. Beginning a job is a great way to develop new relationships, gain valuable skills, discover what you’re passionate about, and boost your confidence! But let’s be honest, the job-seeking process itself can be challenging, time-consuming, and frustrating. The pandemic started an unprecedented shift in the job market that we live in today. People are not merely seeking employment, but rather making conscious choices to position themselves into careers that they’ll enjoy. Careers that provide fulfillment, happiness, better overall options for their lifestyles and families, and a sense of pride for work that they do. Job opportunities are no longer tied concretely to locations either, which opens a world of possibilities for job seekers no matter where they live. On top of that, the state of our economy constantly shifts, which directly impacts employment rates, layoffs, and the rise and fall of demand for various types of talent.
The hiring process itself, while it has evolved over time in some regard, still follows a standard pattern, one that is quite similar to starting a new relationship. Job seekers and employers discover each other through means of digital channels, personal networks, and third-party tools and platforms, they conduct a two-way evaluation process, and ultimately choose to commit to each other. But with thousands of job listings available online, how do you navigate the chaos? Where do you start? How can you maximize your time to ensure your job seeking process is efficient? When you do find a match, how do you know you’ve found the “right one”?
This guide will provide you with some unique methods for job seeking, outside of the traditional online job search. Strategic and systematic methods that are tailored your specific goals. Along the way you’ll learn how employers seek talent, and how to best position yourself to those prospective employers. This lens comes from ten years of recruiting and talent acquisition experience within various types of organizations.
You’ll begin your search by learning how to break down and categorize the essential elements that make up a career choice and prioritize them based on your interests and goals. From there you’ll learn several different approaches to job seeking, that allow you to capitalize on job opportunities that are the most likely to match your requirements. Each chapter includes valuable inside information from the employer and/ or recruiting perspective. When you understand how job seekers are evaluated from the other side of the fence, your job search will be more strategic, thoughtful, and effective. You’ll also gain in-depth information about how to research companies and positions, which digital platforms are available and how to use them, and how to approach your resume, applications, interviews, and offers. On top of it all, you’ll have several examples of verbiage you can use in your resume or social profiles during your search, questions to ask, and negotiating tactics. There’s even a chapter dedicated to the process that recruiting and hiring teams use when seeking new employees.
If you’re seriously considering making a change, or diving into the job-seeking world for the first time, being informed and prepared will make the process come naturally. After reading this book you’ll have a game plan for your job search, as well as a new sense of confidence when interacting with prospective employers. Enjoy!
