Whether you are looking to make a change internally at your current company or seeking a new position at a different employer, making time for a meaningful job search is difficult. Believe me I know what it’s like to try to balance your personal life, being engaged at work and trying to find a new job all at once. When you’re into a full blown job search it can be hard to explain multiple absences and you may also feel as if you are betraying or even – ugh! – lying to your current employer. None of this is easy though there are a few things that might help you along the way.
Do treat your search like a part time job: This is probably the hardest thing to do in your job search. In order to score the job of your dreams, you might have to give up a little time with friends or family. Serious and successful jobseekers often spend time either before or after work and on weekends contacting colleagues and peers, applying for positions online and following up with recruiters. Turn your job search into a project and track your progress using a spreadsheet. Set up milestones for getting in touch with people and evaluate your progress against those milestones. You wouldn’t develop software without a specification, so don’t start your job search without a plan!
Do your research: What position do you want to have? What technology do you want to work on developing? Where would you be willing to relocate? What does the company have to offer in terms of benefits? Does the company offer a strong career progression? What salary range are you looking for in your next position? These are all critical questions you have to answer prior to applying for any position. This will help you narrow down your search and ultimately find a few companies that can meet the qualifications you are looking for in a career. With the tech market as it is there are more then just the usual suspects out there offering rewarding job opportunities.
Do contact your network or learn how to expand your current one: Learning to connect with people can be hard. At the same time, it is the number one way that positions get filled. In fact, over any other means of applying for a job networking accounts for 60% or more of filled positions. So, take advantage of online social networking sites like LinkedIn, attend local user group meetings, get in touch with old friends from school etc… You never know who you will meet that can lead you to your next position.
Do be selective in accepting interviews: It’s flattering to have companies chasing after you and have offer upon offer for interviews. The bad news is that not all of these will be a match for what you’re looking for and can take time away from finding the right match for you. Even worse if you are in a bad situation currently, you may suffer a little from “the grass is greener” syndrome. When a company contacts you for a position, interview them! This is your opportunity to find out if the position is a match for the job content you are looking for, your salary requirements and your relocation needs. If it’s not the right match, politely decline and move on.
Do your homework in preparing for the interviews: This is the ace-number-one most common complaint we hear from employers and a big reason many jobseekers don’t get the job – interviewees are just not preparing well enough for the interview. Not only do you need to spend time practicing your coding skills and brushing up on your technical knowledge, you also need to be prepared to ask questions about the position and the company. Good employers want to know that you have taken the time to learn about the position and that you have genuine questions to ask about the job. Ask your recruiter or company contact what will be covered in the interview, review the job description with a fine tooth comb and research the heck out of the company and the group. All these will help you in the interview to determine if the job is right for you.
Remember, only you know how far you can push yourself – and your current employment situation - in your job search. At the same time, companies have vacation policies, personal days, and flexible hours that you can take advantage of when looking for your next big thing. The key is to be strategic about conducting research and how much time you take off. In the end, these sacrifices will pay off when you move into that next great job!