10 Pieces of Advice for Job Hunters

As a professional mentor, I have often had occasion to offer up advice to those who are thinking about or are actively looking for a new position. As a professional mentor, I adhere strictly to Chatham House Rule.

When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.

A recent, hour-long conversation with somebody I had not met before had me trotting out some of my best guidance and – determined to help as many as possible – I’m laying it out here.

This is selfish, really. Next time somebody asks for an hour of my time re: job hunting. I can send them a link to this post and save the face-to-face time for networking (it’s not what you know but whom you know).

Deep breath…

1. Start With Your Ideal Job Description

I’d like to send a shout out to the person from whom I gleefully stole this idea… but… Chatham House Rule.

They had been solely responsible for the implementation of Adobe Analytics at a large financial institution and after a healthy number of years wrangling the data and building a team, got fidgety. It was time to move on. But not just to another company; they wanted a new challenge.

So they wrote up an Ideal Job Description that included their motivation. They were looking for a position they could apply all of their strategic and managerial skills to the implementation of Google Analytics. Instead of being the individual contributor who knew how to push all the buttons, they wanted to be the strategic advisor. They wanted to move up from being a technologist to a strategist.

They shopped this job description around until they found a consulting company that said, “That’s interesting. Let’s give it a try.”

‘Help Wanted’ Doesn’t Help

Most people begin by combing through job boards and applying for positions they feel qualified to apply for.

Note: In her book “Lean In”, Sheryl Sandberg’s said, “men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them”.  A Behavioural Insights Team study found that women apply when they meet 56% of job requirements, while men apply when they meet 52% but you see there is a difference.

But what if you flipped that approach? Instead of waiting for the perfect job to appear, create it yourself. Start by writing out your ideal job description. What tasks excite you the most? What skills do you want to develop further? Imagine the role that would make you eager to start work every day.

You’re not just another applicant; you’re someone who knows exactly what they want and how they can contribute. This proactive approach not only sets you apart but also shows potential employers that you’re driven and clear about your career goals.

Bonus: Include something (only one) that you want to learn about. You have scads of experience at this, this, and that. You have achieved great things before doing that, that, and this. But you also want to dive into This Thing. You want to learn all about it and apply it to benefit the company. Do your research and find out what the company thinks will benefit them.

Bonus 2: Include the things you’d rather not do. For the love of God, don’t make me do legal contracts!

2. Target Brands You Like

Then, identify companies you admire—those whose values resonate with you, whose products or services you respect, or whose culture you’ve heard good things about. Explain what you want to accomplish and ask if there’s an opportunity to do it at those companies.

Don’t be overly lavish in your praise of the company you’re talking to but make it clear that there are some wonderful things about their product/service/culture that knock your socks off. You are communicating to the person on the other side of the interview that you admire them for their choice of working place.

3. Approach Networking as Relationship Building

Don’t think of networking as a transactional activity but as building relationships. The key is to start with people you genuinely enjoy working with. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, or industry contacts just to catch up and see how they’re doing. Express interest in their work and share what you’re working on. These conversations often lead to opportunities you wouldn’t have discovered through traditional job hunting.

Moreover, the more people know what you’re looking for, the more they can help you. Share your goals widely and be open about what you’re seeking. You might be surprised at how often the right connection or opportunity arises simply because someone knows what you’re aiming for.

I had one Analytics Cohorts member say they were thinking of getting out of digital analytics altogether and going into cybersecurity. I introduced them to a family member who had been in cyber security for more than a decade. The two exchanged emails about what certifications mattered, which conferences to go to, and what skills the industry needed more. That expression of a goal – out loud – led to a career change.

Reach out directly to your companies-of-choice. This could be through LinkedIn, a mutual connection, or even an email to someone in the department where you’d like to work. Express your enthusiasm for the company and describe how your skills align with their needs. Even if there isn’t a current opening, showing initiative and enthusiasm can often lead to opportunities that weren’t initially visible.

This approach bypasses the HR process, which often screens out highly qualified candidates because their resume doesn’t have the exact vocabulary on the formal Job Description. How can they be so callus? It ain’t personal, it’s the algorithm.

When you make direct contact with someone in the company, you have the chance to explain why you’re a perfect fit—something that a resume simply can’t convey.

4. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

If you’ve been in a specific industry for a long time, consider how your skills might apply in a different sector. Maybe you’re in marketing, but your analytical skills could make you a great fit for a data-driven role in another field. Or perhaps you’ve been working in project management and want to shift into a more strategic role. Or maybe you’ve been in media your whole career and it’s time to apply what you know to retail. The key is to think broadly about how your skills can be transferred and be open to opportunities that allow you to learn and grow in new ways.

5. Be Strategic with Your Personal Brand

Your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world, both online and offline. It’s what people think when they hear your name, and it can significantly impact your job search. Start by keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date and reflects the type of job you’re after. Highlight your most relevant skills and experiences, and make sure your headline is clear and compelling.

Be sure to engage with content that matters to you. Follow industry leaders, join discussions, and share your thoughts others’ posts on topics related to your field. Commenting on posts or sharing articles with your own insights can help position you as a thought leader in your area of expertise. This not only boosts your visibility but also helps you build connections.

If you’re not into writing long-form content, that’s okay. Start small. Share an interesting article and add a few sentences about why you found it valuable. Over time, this will help you develop your voice and build a following of people who are interested in what you have to say.

Bonus tip: You know that one thing you want to dive into and learn about? Start learning about it in public. Post once a week about what you learned that week. This sets you up as

• serious about learning
• transparent
• proactive
• willing to share

Eventually you will be posting things that most people don’t know and voila, you will have become a subject matter expert.

6. Ask the Right Questions During Interviews

First rule: You are interviewing them.

The interview process is as much about you finding the right fit as it is about the employer finding the right candidate. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that help you understand the company’s culture, the team dynamics, and what success looks like in the role you’re applying for.

Ask about the team’s approach to collaboration. How do they handle conflict? What’s the company’s policy on professional development?

You might want to pick some of the killer questions from the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey and turn them into questions for the people you might be working with. For example:

• Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do my work right?
• Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
• Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

One powerful tactic is to research the person interviewing you beforehand—check their LinkedIn profile, read any articles they’ve written, or listen to podcasts they’ve been featured on. You can then tailor your questions to their experiences, which not only demonstrates that you’ve done your homework but also creates a more engaging conversation.

Bonus: Copy and paste that research into a ChatGPT custom GPT or an Anthropic Claude Project and to create a persona of that person. Ask it to engage in a practice interview.

7. Get the Interview and then the Offer

• Don’t decide if you want to work at a company when you see a job posting
• Don’t decide if you want to work at a company when you talk to a few people about it
• Don’t decide if you want to work at a company when you walk out of the first interview
• Don’t decide if you want to work at a company when you finish the interview process
• Decide if you want to work at a company after you get the offer

Think of the rest as practice. Interviewing requires practice.

8. Always Be Interviewing

If you’ve read this far, you are seriously thinking about or actually looking for a new job. This section is for people who did not read this far – and so, it’s for you in the future.

Once you get a job, interview for other jobs once a month.

Yeah, it’s hard work, and distracting, and painful, and so forth. But you need to keep an open mind and need to keep practicing, Keeping the door open is the best way to let good opportunities come in.

9. It’s a Job Not a Marriage

Personal perspective here, but “’till death do us part” is working great for me. That’s why I did not rush to the altar. It took us four years to get from meeting to wedding and that was 43 years ago so, yeah, it’s working for me.

A job on the other hand? It’s not a lifetime commitment. It’s not your identity. It’s an experiment. If it doesn’t work out it’s not because you’re bad or incompetent, it’s just not a good fit. Not being a good fit at that one job does not mean you will not be a good fit at another – even in the same company.

Give that new job some time and see if it feels right. You either break those shoes in and they are comfortable and stylish, or they hurt your feet and should be replace.

10. Be Prepared

Finally, here’s my very favorite piece of advice about interviewing: When they ask, “What is your greatest weakness?” reach into your pocket and pull out a pre-printed card that says, “Sometimes I over-prepare.”

But yeah, have a real answer up your sleeve.

Your Career, Your Terms

Job hunting is about finding the right job for you. It’s about being proactive, strategic, and thoughtful in your approach. Keep your goals clear, your network active, and your enthusiasm high. You’re not just seeking a job; you’re crafting your career. And with the right mindset and strategy, you’ll find a role that not only meets your needs but also excites and inspires you.

And if you’d like to talk about it… I’ve had the same email address for 30 years.