First and foremost, if you’ve not read our previous entry, you’ll wish to do so. The link can be found:

HERE

Now we’ve established a somewhat long-term view and high-level, low-res overall plan, we can look to create our immediate job-search strategy. Our objective now, is to gain a role on the trajectory defined in our plan – if not immediately our ultimate role, certainly something that will be a deliberate, evolutionary step in the right direction. We need to define what that role looks like using the elements we’ve created in our ‘Career Planning’ worksheet previously, and start to drill-down in a more granular way on this specific next step.

We’ll create a companion worksheet later, so for now let’s focus on mentally assigning values to the following;

Geographic Location | Titles and their varients | Vertical/Industry | Industry Recruiters

These are the fundamental values we now need to filter and further evolve our search.

When we understand the parametres, things come into focus. Our wheels stop spinning, and our sense of overwhelm disappears. The greater the clarity in our vision, the better we can understand and recognise ‘the right thing’ for us.

With geography, you may or may not entertain the idea of relocation. If so, how far? Are there locations that are anathema? List out a bunch of likely locations that you would entertain and use that to focus your search. We’ll talk more about how to incorporate everything at the end.

Next we need to look at titles and functions that we would be looking at as your next position. It’s importamnt to include a variety of titles for the same core function. In every industry, there are multiple ways that people and organisations express the same role archetype. Learn them, record them, use them.

If you’re looking to make a move into a new industry vertical, or indeed remain in your current, write ’em down! A ‘Sales Director’ in FMCG is quite different to a ‘Sales Director’ in ICT. We want to eliminate false positives from our searches.

Last, but certainly not least, we need to know the best recruitment organisations (and possibly individuals) in your intended space. Ask trusted industry friends, search (at home!) on sites like glassdoor.com, and use LinkedIn to explore your options. Narrow things down to just a few. Typically we advise a 1:2 ratio of one HUGE global company, and two boutique specialists in your domain. Put together (with us, or off your own bat) a compelling profile, and get it in front of these recruiters. /sidepitch We know how to do this, and can ensure you get attention and aren’t just put into the deck as it were. Keep in touch with them, and give them the fuel they need to get you in front of their clients. That means being prepared, and knowing exactly what you want them to take away from your conversation. If this is done well, they will do the heavy lifting for you!

Once you have these parts nailed down, you’re ready to start the actual process, and will benefit from your preparations.

Our next installment will be focused on the execution of all the work we’ve done.