First of all, be aware that, statistically, a typical job search for a middle management professional can take up to 3-4 months. Higher positions can take considerably longer. The job search can feel more like a marathon than a sprint, and the best way to approach it is to have a clearly defined plan. To make it even easier, there are three stages that will help you land your dream job, and each can be carefully broken down so that no task seems too big.
Below are the three stages broken down into manageable chunks that save time and stress. B) The role question: this is about demonstrating that you understand what it takes to do the job well. This varies from role to role, but the typical format is to go through a "case question or type simulation". In the case of a sales role, this could be a role play.
For engineering roles, it might be about writing code for a typical problem. And, for most other roles, it would involve working through a business case. For example, a case for a marketing role might be: "What is your favourite product and how would you analyse its marketability? This type of question is guaranteed to be asked and is likely to be asked by several interviewers. And, a key step in preparing for them is to really understand what a day in your role at x company means.
If you wait to get a job as proof that you can get it, this probationary attitude will kill your search. They may know how to do the job, i.e. they may have the sales and communication skills and experience for the actual sales job, but getting the job, convincing someone to hire you, is different from doing the actual job. The six-step job search process provides a consistent structure that works for a wide variety of life situations, including students looking for an internship or full-time job, career changers, job relocators, or those returning to work after unemployment or a leave of absence.
Even the best talent can spend six months to a year looking for work (or more, depending on how tight the sector is) before getting an offer. If you are careless with your job search communication, leaving rambling voicemails, sending emails with typos or grammatical errors, you are likely to do so on the job. The job search is similar to a marketing project, only this time the P-words are positioning, process and persistence, closely followed by presentation and personality. If you can get a consulting or freelance job while you're looking, that's a plus for your finances and your experience base.
That served me well in my last job, where my attention to detail helped save the company 10n a major account. Enough beating around the bush: it's time to put an end to your intermittent job search and take some concrete steps that actually lead somewhere. Moreover, by directing your marketing campaign towards a more focused path, you will reduce the chances of being out of a job sooner, rather than later, as you are more than likely to get a job in an organisation you like and respect. The steps are designed to give you a framework to follow and prevent the job search process from becoming overwhelming.
Although formal job search activity is still centred on normal working hours, it is easier, and therefore more acceptable, for job search activity to take place at all hours. While you want to follow the steps sequentially, recognise that there will be times in your search when the steps are repeated and therefore taken out of sequence. You may want to do more research before approaching them for interviews, so you will be at step 3 for the pharmaceutical sector, but at step 4 for the technology sector.
