Job searching is mostly:
- Network traversal process to find the job where you’re the 99th percentile person
- Hard committing into demonstrating that fit
Not:
- Shotgun applying to jobs where you’re <50th percentile
And with this insight, the job search process becomes way easier and more fun!
Go have 15 minute coffees with anyone working on a problem you think is cool. What are they excited about? Is their team very busy? Growing? Who do they know who could use help right now?
Have fun learning about all these companies and building human connections! Go see what people are building that lights a fire in you. Meet awesome people working on cool things in your industry.
You can usually tell if there’s a need for help and if your skills would be a good fit within 5 minutes of talking with someone who is working close to the problem. Doesn’t have to be the hiring manager - just about anyone on the team can give good info.
Find a need and a good fit?
Congratulations! You can now ask questions to better understand the need, which makes tuning the resume and writing the cover letter 100x easier.
Good fit, but no need right now?
Ask what would need to change for them to be in a position to hire you. Can you make a connection to help here?
Need, but not a good fit?
Do you know anyone who would be a good fit?
A good recommendation is super valuable and will likely make both the person you’re talking to and person you’re referring want to help you in the future.
No need and no fit?
Do they know any companies who might need your skills? What opportunities can they see from their point of view of the local industry? Can they introduce you?
No need, no fit, and they don’t know anyone?
It happens! Make a human connection and file them away in your mental rolodex for when someone else asks you if you know anybody who does/needs X.
With practice, you can do the whole process of finding a company, outreaching a person, and having a call or coffee in ~30 minutes/company.
The job search doesn’t have to be trawling through job boards with opaque and impersonal job postings, taking hours to put together applications with only sporadic rejection letters punctuating the awful silence.
You can go meet people, make friends, learn about the awesome things people are building, and get excited! It’s fun! You make friends!
Counterintuitively, it’s also way more effective!
I wish someone had told me this earlier. I want to shout this from the rooftops!
Job searching doesn’t have to suck!