Moving On and Moving Up

Overall

In a recap, I am happy with the progress of this week. I took two really big opportunities and I learned that one will not be moving forward but here’s the thing. I have found that I would much rather apply for stretch goals than stay in my comfort zone. Job hunting is strange for a number of reasons and one of them is the fact that if you want to move up you need to prove that you can handle a new role but most hiring managers only want someone that will meet all of the criteria. To me this makes no sense because why would you want to hire someone that is already fully capable of that role? How long do you think they will last? Why not hire someone that can grow into the role?

Here is another thing, why are companies so set on only hiring people with prior experience in their industry? Is your industry really that hard to understand? If it is, you need to find a way to simplify what you do so anyone can understand it. If you don’t, your marketing will never be as good as it can be. Second, if you only hire people that have prior industry experience, you will only get people that think of the same way of doing things, which provides no innovation. Hire someone from outside your industry and be amazed at the great ideas they bring to the table. Some of them may not work but many of them will help you stand out and at the very least think differently. Finally, if you are not willing to invest the time to teach someone about your business, you are really missing out.

Here is what I learned

The traditional job search sucks: It is completely broken. You personalize your resume, customize your cover letter, upload both and then re-enter all of the same information into an online form. The best part, you never hear back but are constantly told you need to do more. What fun. So instead you need to do something different, more about that below.

Follow up is key: People are busy and if you have a job that you want or a company you want to work for, make sure to follow up. I used to think I was being annoying, but it is really being persistent. The key is to; give people a week to respond before following up, always be positive and polite, add value in every interaction, provide dates and times to make it easy to connect and finally know when to give up. If you have not heard back from someone after reaching out four times, stop and but your efforts into other things.

It is okay to push back: When I was rejected from jobs before, I would send a nice email, saying that I understood and say I was open to opportunities in the future. Now, however I push back in a polite way, asking if there is any way to reconsider. Here are a few keys; be polite, respect their decision, give them a reason to reconsider you, give them an easy out and thank them for all they have done.

Create a schedule and just follow it: One thing I have struggled with in the past is figuring out what to do with my time. I would sit in front of my computer screen and wonder what I should do. I would come up with a list so big that I would just end up doing nothing. Here is what I do now. On Sunday morning, I work in Trello and create a list of all the things I want to accomplish this week. This also is the same place where I keep my overall goals. When I have my list for the week and I make sure it aligns with my overall goals, I create my weekly schedule. I use color coding and Google Calendar to make it all work. Then I just follow it and do not try to change it. A huge shout out to Dick Polipnick for his help implementing this.

Here is what I am working on

Instead of just applying to jobs and telling people I have experience and can bring results, I am showing them through a campaign I built in MailChimp, you can see it here feel free to sign up and share it with your friends, colleagues and people you know are hiring.

I am currently working on Austin Belcak’s process of reaching out to companies directly. It really helps you stand out and show your value to a potential employer, instead of just talking about it. There is a lot of reading, but the information is super helpful. I am also working on creating notes and will be sure to share them on here.

Here is what I am listening to, watching and reading

The David Rubenstein Show: It is full of fascinating, insightful and informative interviews with the top leaders in business and in government. What I really enjoy is David’s ability to build candor with the guest in a matter of seconds.

Making It All Work by David Allen: this has really helped me get clear and take action in my life. Anybody can gain so much by taking the time to read and implement his process.

Empower Yourself to Create the Life You Want | Sadhguru: A great meditation to start off your day. While it is 30 minutes it is completely worth it. It has helped me gain clarity and confidence to take action.

How you can help

What has worked best for you to land your job? What is something that most people miss?

I want to land a new job in the next 14 days. I am looking for a role in strategy, marketing or branding. Why me? I help organizations achieve and articulate their product-market-fit. Achieving and articulating your product-market-fit increases revenue, profit, market share and brand awareness because you clarify why your customers should choose you. I help organizations achieve this through data and analytics, customer personas, the value proposition canvas and the customer experience and journey. I would love to connect with anyone that you think I could help, even if it is not for a job.

Thanks for reading,

Adam