I’m six weeks into this job search journey. Up to my ears in resume submissions, cover letters and anticipation hoping that one of these hooks in the water will result in a job offer. An open door into the next chapter of my career.
And yet discouragement looms in the background.
How do I know what I’m doing is working?
Should I expect more progress from my work so far?
At what point do I consider adjustments or changes to my approach?
I wish I could say things are progressing smoothly. That I’m seeing traction on my resume submissions, going on interviews and fielding competing job offers. But that is the more fairly tale version of this job search narrative. That one only exists in my mind… right before the Spongebob meme pops up saying “One Eternity Later…”
The real life version of this story is far more… boring…. monotonous… bewildering.
My daily goals to submit a defined number of resumes, research the companies with which I’m considering and track feedback and next steps has produced a pretty extensive spreadsheet with valuable data points that could help me. What has me scratching my head now is… how can it help me?
First, let me share how I’m gathering my data points. Later this week I’ll share more about how this information is showing me what I need to tweak and where I can double-down.
Track the Work
Tracking job search activities is an important part of this process. It allows me to keep track of the companies to which I’ve applied, the positions applied for, and the status of each application.
There are a few key things I’ve found important when tracking this journey. I mention the spreadsheet template I use here. Why re-invent the wheel when someone much smarter than me is offering something so useful? On this magical spreadsheet, I keep my growing list of companies I’ve applied to and the positions applied for.
Application Status
I track the status of each application. This includes whether I’ve been invited to an interview, if I’ve received a declination or if feedback was provided regarding my resume. This feedback is invaluable because it can help me identify any weaknesses in my job search strategy and make necessary improvements.
And this is exactly where I am right now. Reviewing my progress and looking for opportunities to adjust. After six weeks, I’ve not seen the results I’d hoped to see. So, it’s time to consider tweaks and changes to see if I can improve results. (I’ll share more about those tweaks in a later post.)
In the meantime, just knowing where my resumes are and what my next steps might be is very clarifying.
Leveraging Who You Know
Next, I’m tracking connections. As a result of tracking feedback & connecting with those who respond to my resume, I’ve got a running list of people who may have opportunity to contribute toward my job search down the road. I’ve revisited a few of these contacts to see how one of their connections might be helpful. I’ve discovered people are pretty generous when it comes to introducing you to others that might give you “backdoor access”.
In fact, that is the most sobering part of this process. I can’t say its surprising, just a sobering reminder. It’s all in who you know.
And if it’s all in who you know, then how I follow up with these networking contacts is critical. I’ve got a few intentional steps that I take and am measuring my progress to see if it works. But I’m curious what you might suggest. Currently I have a running list of these contacts. As I apply for a position, I return to their LinkedIn profile page and look to see if they know anyone in that company. If there’s a connection, I request an introduction.
At first I found this difficult. But the distinct need to find someone with the ability to elevate my resume above the abyss of other submissions is invaluable.
Listening to Feedback
I’ve received valuable feedback along the way from these contacts I’ve made. Some are HR executives. Others are corporate recruiters. They know their sh… stuff. So, I receive their feedback and see how I might improve. If they offer their time for a conversation, I’m getting them on my calendar as quickly as possible. The time they offer is valuable in so many ways. I’m not about to miss out on it.
So… there’s my progress so far. Lots of resumes… a handful of conversations… a few interviews… and no job offers as of yet.
But I have to remind myself… this is a numbers and networking game. So learn how to play and play it well.
Just to recap, these are the ways I track my progress. What would you add or change?
- Create a list of all the companies and positions. This includes the date of the application, the method of application, and any follow-up actions I’ve taken.
- Track the status of applications. Including whether I’ve been invited to an interview, received a job offer, or received an “it’s not you, its me” rejection. This is where I note any feedback received to evaluate weaknesses in the job search strategy and make necessary improvements.
- Keep track of networking contacts. I’m hoping these steps can lead the way to opening doors that would otherwise be closed. But more than that.. after experiencing the value of collaborating with leaders outside of the organization for which I worked, I’m hopeful some of these connections will extend far beyond the transactional nature of networking.
