I am ready for a job change. Now what?

2/16/2016

Job change is a dramatic event for every professional, but it does not to be such. There are two steps to a successful job change: making the right decision to change the job (whether it is moving to a new department or a new employer) and selecting the right job (both employer and your position). The purpose of this blog is to alleviate pressure and stress related to such a move and support you in making both decisions and landing the job of your dreams.

The first set of tips will cover the following 10 topics of primary interest to professionals looking for a new job:
1. How do I make a decision whether this is right time for me to move on?
2. What is the perfect next job for me?
3. What if I am searching for a job while I am still working full-time? What if I am unemployed and need to find a new job soon?
4. Are my expectations for the new job realistic?
5. What if I selected organizations I'd like to work for but none of them are responding?
6. What do I need to have in place before I apply?
7. How do I put together a winning resume? Do I need to use professional help?
8. What are the sources for a successful job search?
9. How do I get prepared for an interview? How do I achieve a 100% offer rate?
10. When do I negotiate an offer and how?

and a bonus:
Hooray! I got an offer for my dream job. Can I relax now?

We will also cover specific job situations, such as looking for your first professional job, moving to a different department within the same organization, landing your first managerial position, or progressing to an executive level. We will discuss how to compare your options, such an a Director-level position with a Fortune 100 company and a C-level position with a startup. We will map your offer to your career objectives, short-term and long-term, so that your next step takes you where you want to be professionally. We will talk a lot about relationship building, professional associations, building your presence, and the role of referrals in your next job. There will be very specific step-by-step advice and a lot of real-world examples.

Please feel to contribute your questions and suggestions so that this information is targeted to your professional experiences and can be immediately used by you and others in landing the job of your dreams and never getting disappointed in this decision.

2 Comments

About the Blog

The difference between our career advice site and many others on this topic comes from the fact that it is not written by a career consultant who has limited experience with achieving career growth in a professional environment. This site comes from an industry expert who achieved career progression step by step and learned the lessons that are now generously shared with you.

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Thomas R. Selzner

2/21/2016 06:23:37 am

I am an experienced network admin but it has been over a year after I have been laid off my job with a large telecom company and I cannot find a new one. I would take any job by now, but prospective employers are turned off by the gap on my resume now. What should I do?

Mariya Breyter

2/21/2016 06:48:59 am

Thank you for sharing your concerns, Tom. I agree with you: it is a tough experience to go through, and the goal of this web site is to equip you with the information that will help you in making your job search successful from now on. Actually, all you need is a strategy, and then a plan to execute on it and review progress at every step, and pivot as needed.

What do I mean by saying it has to be strategic?

First, you want to prevent yourself from searching for a job while being unemployed. This fact is a significant drawback on your resume for many employers. Luckily, less nowadays because layoffs have unfortunately become a norm of today's professional life, but still there is prejudice that if someone has been laid off, the value of this person as a professional is always being questioned. Significant gap in employment is one of the most significant "red flags" on someone's resume.

This is why my advice is to start looking for a new job once you become aware of layoffs coming up. If it is unexpected and your job search is not progressing as fast as you expected it to, you can start your one-person consulting business or become a freelancer, and bid for work on elance.com or otherwise, and create continuum in your professional life. I am sure there are multiple opportunities for network admins to take short-term projects while still looking for a job.

Other steps include:

1. Update your resume, then ask your friends and interviewers for feedback on your resume, and update it again. We will cover this process in detail in one of our upcoming tips. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is in sync with your resume and other online resources. Search for your name online and ensure consistency. Make sure your online image is stellar. Update your bio on professional associations' sites.
2. Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn, send personal e-mails to your former coworkers, join and attend local meetups, conferences, professional associations, and other professional events. Be active online including LinkedIn and other forums. If someone is a software engineer, the advice would be to contribute on GitHub - create a professional name. Inform your connections that you are looking for a job - references are your best opportunity!
3. Get feedback to ensure that your expectations are realistic. Use your former colleagues and peers. Are you looking for a job that is in sync with your proven job record? If there is a gap, get certified, trained, take online classes, and include it in your resume.
4. Use a well-balanced set of online job boards - LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, etc. and make sure that you use the ones that are specific to your job responsibility as well. Check them daily and apply immediately. Target your introduction to each employer. Cover letters though not as important and years ago, still matter for many employers. Reference your publications, web sites, other online contributions when you apply. Make yourself stand out from other applicants.

Other steps are as important:
- Successful phone screen;
- Your "elevator pitch";
- Interview preparation for 100% success;
- Winning interviewing strategies;
- Post-interview analysis, actions, and follow up activities;
- Offer negotiations;
- Acceptance and preparation for your first day;
- Your first 90-day plan.

We will cover those steps in detail on our future Tips postings.