Finding Your Next Role
By: Allison Rein
Deciding it is time to leave your current role is rarely an easy choice. But once you’ve made that decision, taking action is empowering.
Here are 4 simple steps to guide your next job search.
1. Reflect: First, reflect on your current role and what you are looking for. Mapping this out ahead of searching will allow you to go into the search with focus and a clear list of priorities. Answer these questions:
What do you love about your role?
What do you hate?
Why are you leaving?
What attributes are you looking for in your next role? Of those, which are must-haves and which are nice-to-haves?
What sort of role will the next role be?
For this one, you can be as vague or as specific as you like. Think about if you want to manage others or be an individual contributor, will you stay in your current industry, or consider a pivot, will you stay in the same sort of role or consider a change?
2. Connect: Next, reach out to some contacts via LinkedIn or email. Speak with mentors, coaches, and others in the industry about what you’re looking for and ask for their guidance and referrals, if they have any. It never hurts to reach out to connections that you haven’t spoken to since the last job search! Find out everything you can about the industry, hiring trends, and what roles might be available in your extended network. Ask for feedback on your resume – now is a great time to update it! Reach out to the Scrubs to Suits community – you never know what someone in this community might be able to help with!
3. Explore: Get exploring! Whenever you have a few minutes, scroll through the LinkedIn jobs section and identify which roles catch your attention. Ask yourself why these roles are noteworthy to you. Don’t be shy to apply to them or reaching out to connections at the company for more information about the role. This is your chance to explore what sort of roles are available, and what you are interested in.
4. Apply: This last phase is about putting the last 3 into action. Apply to the roles that interest you. Even if they seem too junior or too senior, or there’s something that you’re not sure about. Make sure each application includes a cover letter. When you do hear back, go into your interviews prepared! Reach out to mentors, coaches, or previous colleagues for interview support. Reach out to the Scrubs to Suits community for practice interviews and guidance.
Remember that the stages are dynamic, you should start with Reflect, but that doesn’t mean that once you start the Connect phase, you can’t go back to Reflect to refine (in fact, you should!) Also, connecting should happen throughout the process.
Remember that the stages are dynamic! While we have mapped them out in a high-level chronological order, the reality is that the process is more dynamic and circular. You should always be reflecting. Once you start connecting and exploring, don’t stop until you land that dream job!
As you go through the transition, remember that it’s normal not to hear back from most of the applications you put out. Don’t let that hold you back or get you down. You will find the perfect fit for you, and you’ll be glad you invested the time in finding it!
We would love to hear what other tips and tricks you have for job hunting! Leave them in the comments below.
