People are changing jobs more and more frequently during their careers. The days of a ‘job for life’ are long gone, and even the Baby Boomers will likely have worked for a few different firms before they retire. For Gen Z, it would be as many as 10-12.
The reasons for this vary. Some of us are seeking better opportunities for professional growth or increased pay, others need to adapt to personal circumstances like relocation, and many simply desire a change from their current situation. Regardless of the motivation, it’s likely that you’ll need to search for a job more than once in your lifetime. Therefore, even if you’re not currently looking for a new job, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the job search process, keep yourself ready for an unexpected job change, and maintain a view of what’s going on in the job market. But if you are, in fact, considering a job change, this article will help you understand the key, essential steps and strategies to navigate your job search effectively.
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What is a proper job search process?
The idea that applying for a job involves simply submitting resumes on online platforms is increasingly being debunked as more experts continue to explain that the process is much more complex. For a job search to be successful, meaning for it to result in the best available option for you, the process involves several steps and often some reiteration of those steps. So, rather than doing some minor digging on online platforms or job boards and submitting your resume, you should start by clarifying your goals and needs. Then, you’d research job openings, prepare application materials like resumes and cover letters, network with professionals in your target space, submit applications, schedule-prepare-practice-and attend interviews, and negotiate among your hopefully multiple job offers.
Remember, a job search aims to find a suitable job opportunity that aligns with your skills, qualifications, personal needs, and career goals. But you’re also selling yourself to employers. The reiteration of steps in this process comes in tailoring your strategy based on the company and employer to which you’re submitting your information. This personalization is key to making you stand out in the job market. You’ll also need to learn and adapt as you get feedback on what’s working and not working in your search.
A Superficial View of a Generalized Framework for the Job Search Process
Our PathWise colleague and coach, Becca Carnahan, explains the job search process through three main steps. First, you get clear on the factors that impact your search. Then, you get strategic and begin a targeted outreach. That means that you’re purposely identifying companies and people that will get you closer to your ideal job. Finally, you get your foot in the door by activating your network, preparing for interviews, and spending some time on online applications. The image below helps summarize this process, but we’ll cover it more deeply in the next few paragraphs.
Note that this framework assumes that you’re aware of your strengths, skills, experience, motivators, interests, values, personality traits, and work environment preferences. If you’re not sure about these factors, PathWise offers several self-assessments and tools, including the Clifton Strengths, Type Finder, and DiSC assessments, that can help you examine yourself and become aware of the factors that make up you. This is what our PathWise coach and colleague Heather Wilkerson calls: “honoring where you are.”
Most people neglect a key first step when looking for a job: understanding their needs and goals. Being clear about these factors will not only help you target your search but will also help you negotiate when you start getting job offers. So, make sure you spend time defining a target salary, location, role, position, or title, and even some preferences such as the ability to work remotely, the company’s culture, or the organization’s values. Specifically:
- Define Your Needs: Determine your salary expectations, benefits, and preferred work schedule.
- Investigate the Company’s Culture: Ensure your values, mission, work pace, and style will be aligned with those of prospective employers.
- Clarify Your Goals: Define your career growth and learning objectives, as well as the types of challenges that you’re seeking.
Once you’re clear about your needs, goals, and wants, you should begin your targeted search. Find appealing companies or organizations that meet or align with these factors, and then dig a little deeper. Research each company, role, industry, and location thoroughly so that you can start filtering out your job options.
Statistics analyzing how most job opportunities arise show that, on average, 80% come from networks and referrals. That means that only 20% of jobs are found through online applications. Yet most people spend much more of their time on online applications. It feels efficient to just hit ‘apply,’ but the truth is that it’s almost never effective. Additionally, most people don’t spend enough time working on their LinkedIn profiles, tailoring their resumes, and writing cover letters. Thus, our recommendation is that you spend about 80% of your time on targeted outreach and 20% on online applications, making sure you tailor your job search documents according to the company but also to your authentic personal brand (more on this in the next section).
Realizing that most job openings never appear on public job boards, you need to become proactive in making potential employers and search firms aware of your profile. So, once you’ve defined your goals and needs, researched job opportunities, and filtered them out according to your profile, find people in your network or extended network who can help you access these positions or learn more about them.
Your goal in activating your network is to learn more about an industry, company, or role. You can do this by scheduling informational interviews (conversations where you seek insights and advice about a particular career, industry, or company from someone with experience and knowledge in that field, without the expectation of a job offer), attending conferences or alumni events, and seeking referrals and connections via your network. If you’d like to learn more about networking, you can access our Networking Overview. We also have an article providing insights to help introverts network effectively. And, if you feel like you need more help learning to network effectively, we also offer a course to help you embrace the most effective networking strategies.
In the meantime, you can also start preparing for interviews. A good model that can help you plan ahead is the SOAR stories framework. In essence, this model suggests structuring your narratives in a way that highlights your strengths by framing them through the following sequence: start by explaining the situation you faced, then specify the obstacle you overcame, retell the actions you took to overcome it, and finally, share the results your actions led to. The goal is to effectively demonstrate accomplishments and problem-solving abilities. See the image below for more details.
To prepare for your interview, also construct a concise pitch highlighting your top three attributes, supported by a relevant story showcasing your strengths and accomplishments. Explain why you are well-suited to the company and the role, and focus on what you bring to the company and not vice versa. If you need some help, PathWise offers a tool that can help you draft your elevator pitch. You can access it here.
Know that during interviews, you have to be ready to discuss your salary expectations and other needs, such as schedule flexibility, benefits, and educational support. So, you can prepare responses to common interview questions ahead of time, as well as compile a list of your own questions to demonstrate the research that you have done to learn about the company. At PathWise, we’ve created a cheat sheet designed specifically to help you prepare for interviews. Click here if you’d like to download it. To learn more about interviewing successfully, you can also check out our Interviewing Overview.
Once the interview concludes, send a well-crafted thank-you note to your interviewer, expressing your appreciation, restating why you are well-positioned, and reaffirming your interest.
Once you start receiving job offers, you’ll need to assess them, and you’ll likely need to negotiate them. To learn more about this process, check out our PathWise How-To article on negotiating offer letters.
Everything we’ve covered so far should take about 80% of your allotted time for the job search process. The remaining 20% you can dedicate to filling out online applications. But even here, you need to spend time researching the company you are applying to and tailoring your documents accordingly. A good way to do this without losing authenticity is to rely on your personal brand.
The Role of Having and Using Your Personal Brand in the Job Search Process
A personal brand is a unique and distinctive image or impression that you create and project to the world, both online and offline. It’s based on your actions, appearance, behaviors, expertise, and values and how they shape how you come across to colleagues, industry peers, employers, clients, and the general public interested in your expertise.
When searching for a job, a strong personal brand can make you more recognizable and appealing to potential employers. If you rely on your brand to create your resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile, you will stand out, send a clear message, and make the whole process more easy. For instance, your network will more readily orient you or connect you with others and potential opportunities. Your brand can also help you create an elevator pitch and communicate your value more clearly. For example, if you’re clear about what you have to offer and how to set yourself apart, you’ll be ready to answer interview questions such as, “Tell me about yourself.” or “What unique skills and experience would you bring to this role?” Plus, it will make you stand out from a sea of applicants.
To learn more, take a moment to read our Personal Brand Overview here. And, if you need help creating a personal brand, check out our Personal Brand course!
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Thought Leaders
Several thought leaders specialize in job search strategies, personal branding, interviewing techniques, and networking. Here are some notable experts in these areas:
- Richard N. Bolles: Author of What Color Is Your Parachute?, a guidebook for job seekers, offering practical advice on career exploration and job hunting
- Martin Yate: A career coach and author of the Knock ‘Em Dead series – a source of job search strategies, resumes, and interviews.
- William Arruda: A personal branding expert and author of Dare. Do! and Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand.
- Dan Schawbel: Author of Me 2.0 and Promote Yourself, known for his expertise in personal branding, particularly in the digital age.
- Dorie Clark: A thought leader in personal branding, networking, and career development, as well as the author of several influential books, including Reinventing You, Stand Out, and The Long Game.
- Carolyn Thompson: Author of Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job, a book that provides insights on mastering the job interview process.
- Robin Ryan: A career counselor and the author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired!, a book that shares effective interviewing strategies.
- Keith Ferrazzi: Author of Never Eat Alone, a guide on the importance of building strong professional relationships and networking effectively.
- Ivan Misner: Founder of BNI (Business Network International) and author of several books on networking, including Networking Like a Pro.
- Lou Adler: Author of Hire With Your Head and The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired, he is a renowned recruiter and expert in performance-based hiring.
Conclusion
The job search process involves a series of strategic steps to find a job that fits your needs and goals. These steps include performing a self-assessment to identify skills and career goals, researching potential job opportunities, tailoring resumes and cover letters to specific positions, networking to connect with industry professionals, preparing for and attending interviews, and following up with employers post-interview. Engaging in this process will help you engage in a systematic and effective way to navigate the competitive job market, ensuring you present yourself in the best possible light while finding opportunities that align with your career and professional aspirations.
Other Resources
- How to prepare for a job interview:
https://pathwise.io/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview/ - Prepare to answer difficult interview questions:
https://pathwise.io/most-dreaded-interview-questions/ - Do’s and don’ts of resume writing:
https://pathwise.io/dos-and-donts-in-resume-writing/ - How to find a job:
https://pathwise.io/how-to-find-a-job/ - Executive presence:
https://pathwise.io/career-theme/executive-presence/ - Networking:
https://pathwise.io/career-support-network/ - Podcast episode with Dorie Clark on networking and personal branding:
https://pathwise.io/podcasts/dorie-clark/ - Podcast episode with Steph Cartwright on resume writing:
https://pathwise.io/podcasts/steph-cartwright/ - PathWise book summary: Never Eat Alone
https://pathwise.io/books/never-eat-alone-and-other-secrets-to-success-one-relationship-at-a-time/ - PathWise book summary: Designing Your Life
https://pathwise.io/books/designing-your-life-how-to-build-a-well-lived-joyful-life/
