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I’ve been talking with an early-career person who is looking to change jobs, and it reminded me just how much you don’t know when you’re starting out. Here’s a thread of advice on how to look for a new job & what to do while you’re waiting. Please add to it if you can.
It’s a lot easier to find a new job if you have a job. It’s not fair and it’s not efficient, but a lot of hiring managers have this bias. Also, if you’re applying for a job in the same field, your expertise in your current job is one of the things that makes you a good catch.
You may think you are underpaid, underappreciated, under-challenged, or doing way more than your job description—and you are probably right. But unless your current management is abusive or unethical, or if you’re literally sick from it, stick it out in until you find a new job.
While you’re looking, keep working hard. The community of people in your field is a lot smaller than it might seem at first. You’ll be working with some of them again, or need recommendations from them for a later job search.
While you’re in your current job, look for ways to make it better for yourself and others. For yourself: Are there new responsibilities you could take on to develop some skills? People you admire at your current job who would talk with you over lunch or coffee?
To make it better for others: If you see people not getting recognized for their work, recognize them. Tell that person you liked what they said in a meeting. More importantly, tell other people you liked that person’s insight or how they solved a problem.
This is especially important if you see subtle (or not) bias against recognizing women, people of color, young employees, quirky people, etc. You have more power than you know to make a workplace better. Appreciation, respect, and kindness can be contagious
Job descriptions are fantasies. Hiring managers often list more skills or years of experience than they know they can find in any one person. THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you have only 70% or so of the requirements, APPLY ANYWAY
In your cover letter, focus on the skills and experience you have that do fit the job description. And you may have skills that would be relevant to the job that -aren’t- in the job description. Talk about how they would help you perform well in the job.
Apply for “stretch jobs,” those that aren’t an exact fit for what you’ve done or are doing, but are what you’d like to be doing three years from now.
In your cover letter, describe your trajectory – how quickly you’ve developed certain skills, your ability to take on new responsibilities. Hiring managers want to see your potential, not just what you’ve already done. Show your ability to grow into the new job.
Don’t assume anyone reading your cover letter understands your previous experience. Explain what you’ve done and how it has prepared you to take on this new challenge. Try to translate your experience at previous jobs into the language they use at the potential new job.
Everybody. Needs. An. Editor. Ask someone with good verbal skills or who has been involved in hiring decisions or whose judgment you respect to read your resume and cover letter. I guarantee you there’s a typo in it.
Don’t be afraid to ask for this help. People generally like to be helpful, and it’s flattering to be asked to help with something this important. Pay them back by paying it forward when you can—which will be a lot sooner than you think.
If you get an interview, dress a bit more formally than the job requires. Get there early. Have a notepad and pen and take notes. Shake hands confidently but don’t crush anybody’s fingers. Show your enthusiasm. Say thank you a lot.
During the interview, if they ask you a question you aren’t sure how to answer, don’t fake it. Say “That’s an interesting question, could you tell me more about what you mean by X?” or “let me think about that.”
Have questions for them, too – it should be a two-way conversation. You’re there to find out if the job is a fit for you, too, and to find out more about the organization. (Do your research before you get there, though.)
After the interview, send a thank you email, even though you surely said thank you in person. But some hiring managers expect it and it’s a chance for you to emphasize your interest in the position and add things you forgot to say during the interview.
You probably won’t get the job. Best case scenario, you’re one of three finalists. But if you make a good impression, especially if it’s a stretch job and you weren’t quite experienced enough, the interview puts you in good position for a future job there. And it’s good practice.
Anyway, enough from me. What do you think an early career person should know when they’re looking for a new job? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
