Should you apply for that new job?

“I hate my job,” you may say to yourself, and begin to scroll through job sites, looking for something better.

But if you’re not careful, you could find yourself in a new situation that’s no improvement from the last.

If you want to look for a new job, I recommend a three-point strategy for finding a position that’s right for you:

1. Do the inner work
   Research shows that the best candidates are self-aware. You should know you’re a good fit for the job before you apply. You’re going to do better work in a job you like, but it’s more than just the work that matters: the work environment, your colleagues, and other key factors play into your satisfaction on the job. Do the inner work to figure out who you are, what you want, and what your gifts are, and you will be able to be more specific about the kinds of jobs you want.
   (I recommend the Centered Career Self-Awareness workbook as a proven process for this, but here’s a hint about how to know what’s right: how do you feel – in your body – about this opportunity? Does it make you feel excited and happy, bursting with energy, or does it fill you with dread? Do you want to do the work described, or think you *should* want to do it? Your answers will help inform your level of interest in this job. Your interest is key, as we’ll see below.)
2. Target key organizations
   Being focused, specific, and intentional in your job search will yield you good results. Do not take a ‘mud-at-the-wall’ approach to job applications and submit a hundred identical resumes to a hundred organizations. Recruiters will know that you did so and they will not be interested in you. Rather, be specific and intentional about getting to know 5-10 organizations that are a solid fit for you, with positions that are interesting to you (as determined by doing the work described above). I’ll be covering strategies to get to know your key employers in my next post, but for solid networking advice, read this post about how to set yourself apart by being a resource to others.
3. Be highly responsive
   Apply for positions within your target organizations for which you are an 80% fit within hours of their being posted. Even better – find out about the position through your networks before it is even posted. But you’ll still have a good chance for consideration if you submit a personalized, targeted application within a few hours on the first day that the job ad drops.
   How do you do this? After you’ve done Steps 1 and 2 above, set up job email alerts at your target organizations and stay in touch with your network so that you’re ready when a job for which you’re an 80% fit comes available. Make sure you have a resume that’s results-oriented and solidly tailored to the job for which you’re applying. Write a winning cover letter, and apply via the online system (if there is one) within hours on the first day of the opening, backing your application up with an email to the hiring manager at the same time, if possible.
   Your applying early with a tailored resume and cover letter shows an organization a lot about you: that you are passionate about their work and follow them closely; that you do not procrastinate; and that you are self-aware and focused. These are all appealing qualities to an employer, who are looking to find out about your ‘soft skills’ through the application process and are reading your behavior in order to do so.

If you follow these three steps, you should have a good chance of finding a position that you like when you’re ready to change jobs.

If you’d like further support in this process, contact me to set up time for a free, personal 30-minute career consult.

And if you’re wondering about that 80% rule to apply for jobs, and what to do about the 20% of the job’s requirements that you don’t fit, read this excellent post from Dara Wilson-Grant, a career counselor and the Associate Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill.