It's tempting to focus on job boards and online job sites when you are ready for a new career opportunity, especially if you lean toward the introverted side. These sites do work sometimes, but there are a few ways that are MUCH more powerful if you want to end up in a job you love.

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Transcript

Inevitably, the time will come when you know it is time to transition to a new opportunity. There are a lot of reasons you will arrive at this decision and one of the most likely reasons is that you’ll know you’re too comfortable, you could do your current job standing on your head and blindfolded. You’re yearning for a challenge and probably one that’s much more aligned with your purpose.

First of all, make sure you plan to leave your current position with class. Even if you feel frustrated, disrespected, or underestimated – leave well. Leave for the right reasons. This doesn’t mean that you should stay if you don’t want to, but make sure you clean up your mind around leaving. You might be thinking that the grass will be greener, that it will be better there than it will be here, and I can tell you that that type of mindset will lead to disappointment.

There will be different benefits there that create positive thoughts in your mind and there will be unexpected down-sides that you didn’t expect. Generally, you’re bound to have positive thoughts about half of the time and you are going to have generally negative thoughts about half of the time, and the simple act of changing jobs or companies is not going to change that. So, before you make the final decision to leave, I highly recommend that you find the thoughts and feelings about your current position and company that you love. Find the thoughts that fuel you about this job – they are in there, even if you forgot them.

There is something that makes you smile, something that you once had in the front of you mind as something you loved. A few years ago when I was in one of the most challenging roles of my career, to that point, and definitely had one of the most difficult bosses. Even as I was leaving that role this is what I said at my going away party (and I was 100% sincere about every word.) To that boss, directly, I told him that I learned more from him than any one single person to that point in my entire career. Over a 12-year period, he was my boss for about 9 years total over two different stints at that organization.

I was thankful that I had the chance to work with him, because he did give me freedom to learn and grow. I had autonomy, mentorship and was allowed to lead a huge group of engineers, contractors, military and civilians on a multi-million-dollar project for a customer that was at the heart of everything I do. It was this boss that believed in me, put me in that role (which also set me up for the success I have today.)

So, even though, at the end of my time with that company, it was my opinion that he was stifling my team, holding us back in many ways, not letting us grow further than he was ready for at that time – I did leave with respect for him and honored the overall relationship. The key to that was trying not to focus only on the previous 6 months... which is always tempting when you are frustrated.

If I’m coaching with you, I’m always going to guide you to clean up where you are before you leave. Doing this will minimize regrets and it will prepare for you the fact that even if you are excited and truly do find your dream job as your next opportunity – you WILL still have days (even months) that challenge you.

Basically, you can’t chase happiness. You have to decide you will find the peace, joy, belonging, and worthiness inside of you. What I want to tell you, is that it IS possible. Coaches have tools, models and methods to make that easier and faster to implement, but you can decide to clean up your thoughts about your current organization on your own.

Ok, that may have been a mini-rant, ha ha... but for an episode like this, I think it needed to be said. I would hate for you to go to day one of your dream job and realize that you are just as miserable, all because you are letting your brain run around like an untrained monkey.

So – let’s get to the heart of this episode, where you can look to find positions that you truly love.

My best advice, as you look for career opportunities that you love is to be creative, open-minded, and strategic about the positions you do apply for.

You already know you should be professional; Whatever that means for your industry. I also want you to decide to your true self shine through. Especially if you already have a job now that you know other people dream of obtaining one day, then you should be entering into your new opportunity exploration with abundance and curiosity.

There is a place where you can make a special impact and feel like you belong, so you have to remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Never forget that. You know it’s a priority for me that you rise as the genuine leader that you are. Not to mention, if you are really going to love this new position, you don’t want someone hiring you thinking you are a certain way, only to find out that you were acting out of character in the interview in order to impress them. They need to get to know you so they can determine if you are a good fit and you need to get to know them for the same reason.

You already know you should tailor your résumé and cover letter for each application you make. This is an excellent place to highlight why you think your superpowers and this organization could have a beautiful future together.

I want you to consider that you might be limiting your job search through a narrow beam of places you “think” your skills will be best utilized. You have built up an amazing portfolio of expertise and when you get creative about how that knowledge could impact other industries, this is your opportunity to align this deep expertise with efforts you are more passionate about.

Here in this day and age, it’s tempting and easy to focus on job boards and online job sites, like LinkedIn – especially if you lean toward the introverted end of the spectrum. These sites do work sometimes, but don’t focus entirely on the online sites.

Think about it, you and 1,000 other people could be applying for every opportunity you find and it’s possible you will be a needle in a haystack. No matter how awesome you are and no matter how tailored your paper is, they might not even notice you. This is where your power of making a 1:1 connection is going to come in handy.

That brings us to the first really good place to find opportunities you love:

Cultivate your existing community:

• One of your strongest resources will always be your friends and people you already know. As such, some part of your monthly calendar should include engaging with people you want to keep in touch with, personally and professionally. This will make asking for help when you are ready make a change so much easier. This group can also assist you in ways, such as connecting you to someone in their circle – which will offer an “warm connection” to someone you have never met, but want to engage for a new opportunity. I highly recommend scheduling time on your calendar to engage with your circle. Even just a nice email or LinkedIn Message asking how they are and checking in (of course – always in your own genuine way) will make a big difference. The closer your connection, consider taking time to get together and have lunch or grab a cup of coffee together.

• People love to talk about themselves. One great way to make a brand new connection is to discover people who are working in the type of position you are interested in. Let them know you would like to learn more about their job. Many people love to talk about what they do and are often more passionate than they outwardly appear, once you get them going. Your ability to quickly gain rapport with others will, at minimum, create a new friend or future professional connection, but they could also become your greatest advocate inside the new organization and help your find a transition opportunity. Once you make these connections, nurture them and grow relationships with the ones with whom you most resonate with you.

Get comfortable getting uncomfortable. Once you have a strong and possibly renewed connection with your current circle, make a point to start making the new connections to build your network.

Start your own business or become an independent consultant

Volunteer for opportunities you care a lot about

If you aren’t ready to leave your current organization right now, but you think you are interested in changing industries to do something much more in your passion lane – one amazing way to determine if it is really for you would be to find volunteer opportunities in your area of interest. Let’s say you are working in the medical field right now, but you think you would really love working as a coach for teens in troubled homes – why don’t you volunteer at a school or other youth-based organization so you can learn more about already existing services, meet leaders in the space, and build a network that will help you transition when you are ready.

Say YES to something outside of your comfort zone

You have heard opportunities come up within your organization – times when the CEO is looking for someone to lead something that is a little bit out of the ordinary, compared to normal projects. Usually, most new projects align to one department very clearly – marketing, finance, HR, engineering and development. Every now and then there is something that doesn’t really fit perfectly in one department. In these moments, they might ask if there are volunteers to lead the effort. Of course, it feels uncomfortable – you are not exactly sure how you’d accomplish what is being asked, but it seems interesting. This is a good chance for you to try something new. There are two benefits I see here: 1) you get different experience and 2) when you succeed, your star will rise because of it. A lot of people will not take on these kinds of challenges. The reason I mention this in this episode, is that you just might find out that you love it!

How to Use Online Job Sites

You don’t have to completely ignore the online job sites, but besides using them to possibly open a door, I want you to explore them with curiosity. First, they are an efficient way to find potential opportunities. Many employers will use them to find candidates. I want you to use their search functions to apply your skills to different industries and organizations to see what else is out there. Dream a little, imagine what is possible. Now that so many organizations allow for robust teleworking, you have so many possibilities – so explore and see what could be out there for you!

a. Glassdoor: Their mission is to help you find a company you love. They have ratings and reviews of different employers on a range of topics, such as compensation, company culture, how generous benefits are, and what employees think about top executives.

b. Ladders: The selling point of Ladders is that it only features vetted jobs with annual compensation of $100,000 or above. The Ladders community is where high-end employers and high-end talent come together. It also allows you to filter by the highest-paying companies in each industry.

c. Indeed: Indeed is one of the most popular sites for job candidates and is primarily a job search engine. They say they put job seekers first. It has other value-add offerings, such as a salary comparison tool, allowing you to look at compensation trends among different industries. It also allows other users to review companies, providing insights into what it might be like to work for or interview at certain companies.

d. LinkedIn: LinkedIn markets itself as a “professional social network” where, aside from job listings, you can potentially reach decision makers at the companies you wish to apply to. Candidates can get an edge by looking at the profiles and posts of those who they might be interviewing with for insights into their career paths. Since users’ profiles are always available to view and the platform is used for networking, LinkedIn allows potential employers to find you whether or not you are actively seeking a new job. This sets it apart from other job sites.

Key takeaways from job sites

• Different boards have different features, so it makes sense to use more than one to take advantage of the resources they offer.

• Researching a potential employer can help you decide if you would be a good fit.

• You can streamline your search using boards that cater to certain pay levels, or based on employee and interviewee feedback.

Join a professional network

Professional organizations can be a useful way to network with people in your industry and give you access to opportunities that you won’t find elsewhere. In addition, they can be a resource to learn which skills you should learn and how to do so. JobStars has a list of professional organizations you can use as a starting point for finding one relevant for your search. You can find the link in the show notes. https://jobstars.com/professional-associations-organizations/

Actions to take this week:

1. Block a reoccurring “connection” hour on your calendar weekly until you find the new position you have been dreaming about. Mark it private so anyone who can see your calendar does not see this block detail. During this time take some of the following actions:

a. Think of 2-3 people you already know and send them emails to catch up and reconnect. If you have some value you can share with them, do so.

b. Do research for someone in a position that you would love to do. This can be at your current organization, at a different organization, in a completely different industry, and given technology – could be anywhere in the world. Make a list of the next 5-10 people you would love to connect with. (This could even be somewhat of a “dream” list, people you admire or look up to.)

c. During this time block in subsequent weeks, choose 1-2 of the new potential connection list and engage with them (LinkedIn might be a good way to do this if you do not have their direct contact information.) Let them know you are interested in their career field and industry and that you would love to learn more about what they do. Do NOT make this a form letter, you will literally be ignored or even reported for being spammy. Be very selective if you are reaching out cold to some of these people. Use your ability to connect, remain genuine, and focus on them and specifically (individually) what you admire about them. When and if you do get the chance to speak about them, keep the focus on them and their position – that is how you connect.

As you find opportunities that you believe you will love, make sure you have everything—from your resume to your online image—in order so that you come across the way you envision.

You’ve got this – now go find that opportunity that you love!