IX.2.2020 - Adaptability & Your Job Search Strategy
When we had our first child in 2012, I felt completely lost when we brought her home. I had no idea what I was doing. When I asked for other people’s opinions about how to be an excellent parent, their feedback was often in conflict. I felt more lost than ever. We finally decided to parent our way, learn by our mistakes, and adjust our parenting style accordingly. Our biggest lesson was that my partner and I had to adapt because children’s needs change with time. What worked for us one week often didn’t click the following week. What worked for one child didn’t necessarily work with the other two. With three kids — 8, 6 & 4 — we discovered the platinum rule to do unto the child as the child needs to be done unto.
Great segue coming!
You can apply an adaptability approach to a job search. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for executing your search. Much like parenting, there are many factors in play, and circumstances change week to week. So, how can you be adaptable in your job search? When working with my clients, I recommend maintaining a “job search journal” to track their daily progress. A job search feels like a full-time job when you are doing it right. This way, a weekly review will reveal what worked well for you the previous week, issues you faced, and lessons you learned. With that information, you can implement changes to your approach. That’s how adaptability works.
Changing your job search activities will help maintain your momentum and keep you on track to secure the right job for you. Figure 1 is an example of a weekly job search journal summary. These details will differ between each working professional based on their background, focus, goals, and job search stage.
Figure 1
Week of May 15, 2020 - Summary
Activities 1. Research/source, add and reach out to 5 new contacts on LinkedIn 2. Follow-up with potential contact at RBC – Jane Banker 3. Apply to new role found on Indeed – Senior Manager, Commercial Banking (Scotia), network and source potential Scotia contacts on LinkedIn Successes 1. Secured a networking meeting with John Doe, CEO, Doe Enterprises 2. 2 Interviews – 1 with BMO for the position of Senior Director, Commercial Banking 3. Reached out to a potential contact (Ahmed Conway) at RBC requesting a networking meeting Lessons 1. Need to be more results-focused & succinct in my CV about my accomplishments 2. Invest more time in networking; track and follow-up with contacts more effectively 3. Update my LinkedIn profile and increase my presence on social media |
Like parenting, there is no right or wrong way to conduct a successful job search. Adaptability is a skill that you can develop through an objective review of your activities, successes and lessons. Be well and stay focused — you will get the job that you deserve.