The ultimate guide to how to find a job anywhere, especially after Pandemic
If you are looking for a JOB, this is the 1 piece of advice I would give you.
Many individuals tell me they have sent out 100+ resumes and haven’t received any responses. I tell them that’s like playing the lottery and hoping to win. The truth is many resumes go to the rejection pile unread. What you need to do is NETWORK. Talk to 100 people in your network rather than apply for 100 jobs via job boards. Networking is the only way to bypass the bias filters (Overqualified, Employment Gap) in automated systems. The door won’t open automatically, you will have to PUSH your way in!
Pick up the phone, attend job fairs, tech events, meet people. The truth is many individuals are hired due to familiarity rather than actual merit and many jobs are not posted externally. 80% of all Jobs are filled via Networking. As the saying goes, “It’s Not What You Know, But Who Knows You.” Shake off rejection and keep going. Remember it’s not how many “nos” you get. It only takes one “YES.”
Very important, You need to fill your network with people who have a clear idea of what you do and who you are, and what you can do for them. One of my key learnings for 2017 was that one should always do a favor first before asking for a favor. A favor can be simple and small or even a kind gesture. You just have to make the first move!
Notably, following these techniques, I recently got 4 job offers; and I chose the one where I could create the highest impact while working with smart people. I would be starting that role in June’18 and I’m really excited about it. #TheMeetGroup
Continuing..: ‘Be Bold’ and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Clearly ask, ‘I saw an interesting position at your company, could you please help me connect to the hiring manager? or could you refer me for the role? or could you tell me who I should connect with?” Unless you ask, you don’t get, specially in the job market.
Many people ask me, “I don’t know anyone from that company. How should I connect with someone”. I tell use LinkedIn. Search for someone in that company in the right department and connect with them on LinkedIn. What will happen: a) They will not accept your connection request. b) They will accept and then you can start a conversation. People hire people. Don’t be afraid of reaching out to people more successful than you.
Golden advice: Whenever you want to send an email/CV to someone and don’t know what is the email id, then use: firstname.lastname@companyname.com or use tools like https://www.voilanorbert.com/ to find email id. Send them an email with your CV.
Sample(recommended) Email Template:
Hi …..,
I saw that you are leading/working at …. .
I’ve worked in ….. technology, and have track-record in …..
From a ….. perspective, I’ve been able to grow ….. from …to …. , I’ve worked in ….., and increase .. by .. resulting in ….. more revenue ….. I think I can really add value to the …..
I like ….. and I’m interested in ‘this{type the name} role (link it). I also attached my CV. It would be nice if you could forward it to the hiring manager and keep me in the loop. Would you be available for a quick call this week.
Thanks,
Keep it short, simple and precise.
Be an expert or really good at what you do. Find your niche, watch expert video’s on Youtube, attend online courses, meet people and experts in your field of interest. Build a ‘hacky-mindset’ to think BIG (really BIG and in detail). You don’t need a formal education to do your job. I personally do things with passion & energy and I believe everything is learnable. These days, I am learning Python and Machine Learning, and its fun. I’d write about this in Q4.
Top 5 common mistakes people do while Job search:
- People wait for the ‘perfect’ opportunity to come or they keep waiting to hope that things would change for better in their current companies/jobs. It doesn’t happen in magic. People just don’t make the efforts to network and check your market worth. Waiting only increases frustration. Yet patience is also important. Some ‘door close while better doors open’.
- People don’t build skills that would make them more job-market fit. They hope that all skills would be taught by their companies. It’s wrong. You are responsible for building skills for your next job. Be a specialist and an expert. Ensure people know about that skill that you have.
- Most interviews fail because people don’t go prepared. It’s very important to prepare your interviews. I literally write questions and answers for the interviews and know exactly what I have to say. Prep well. Learn to be a good listener.
- Writing too much on CV or too Long CV is waste. Resumes should be 1 page, simple and precise. Remember that most CV’s/resumes are read for less than 6 seconds at 1st glance. Key words in JD should match your CV.
- They wait for reply before applying for next job. You should keep applying, interviewing and keep checking your market worth. When you have more job offers, you can negotiate much better. Your BATNA increases. I can say that with experience .. “Never split the difference — Negotiate as your life depends on it.”
- While searching for jobs, people restrict to their current industry or product line. Solution: You should look not restrict yourself, rather look anywhere where your interest thrives. Know what you want, what you are good at at, how you can create an impact, who you could connect with, and what can you so to learn more in your field of interest.
To Sum up:
1. Network with people instead of 100+ online application
2. Be an expert. Tell the people exactly what you’re good at and how you can help them.
3.Be the first one to do a favour and then it is easier to ask for a favour.
4. Don’t do the same most common mistakes
I am soon starting a consultancy to ‘book a slot with Saket’ on Career Counseling & Job Search Advice’. Updates coming soon. — Saket
I love sharing knowledge. I believe knowledge not shared or not used is garbage. Thus, I may be launching www.sakettoshniwal.com to share my knowledge and help people in three things:
- Teach on CRM, Product Management, Digital Marketing, & Blockchain. — Through Videos, Articles etc
- Career Counselling and Job Search Advice
- Consulting on Business Plan formulation and business modelling for Tech Startups.
Well, it would go step by step — — and long way to go.
Hope this article helped you. You may have to read it twice because most people who read twice, sent me a Thank You note.
You can connect me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakettoshniwal or Hire him as your consultant/mentor.
