25 things I’ve learned from an extended job search

Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash

It’s approaching four months since I wrote Is it me you’re looking for? a post where I announced that I had left my role at Deeson and was looking to find a new role through my network and a company that shared similar values.

Since then I’ve spoken to 20+ companies, I’ve had lots of informal conversations. Everything I’ve applied for has come from mutual connections.

The blog post helped me work out who to talk to and helped qualify things out which weren’t suitable.

A lot of conversations were speculative. There wasn't a well-defined role they were trying to fill or a clear business need, so many of these conversations didn’t proceed past an initial chat.

Others were the right job, wrong time or the right company, wrong role.

One of the best interviews I had was for a Client Services Director role. The man interviewing me said the previous person hadn’t worked out and he wanted to talk about the role and see if it was of interest. We spoke for about 40 mins and he paused and asked “how is this sounding?” and I replied, “to be honest, this isn’t for me”. His style really stuck with me, it was a very respectful even dialogue.

The market started buoyantly but with the looming threat of a recession, things started to quieten down. However, up until recently, I’ve always had about three roles in the pipeline at any one time. As the search went on, I realised the role I was looking for was very niche.

I contemplated in-house roles but many of the roles were product based. Many of the consultancies I spoke to were very keen on GDS/UCD experience which meant I’d have to take a less senior role and potentially a pay cut. I’m still considering contracting — I’m just conscious that I’m probably the type of person who wants more of a permanent home than that can offer.

A positive and very unforeseen outcome of the job search was that three companies I massively respected contacted me about mentoring members of their team who they thought would benefit from my experience. I think I’ll continue to do this going forward, it’s been really rewarding and something I’m genuinely proud of. Thanks to Jamie CEO of JH and Lex Co-Founder of Comuzi for believing in me.

The job search often feels like a game of snakes and ladders — feeling like you’re reaching the top only to fall all the way back down again and having to start all over.

Here are some of my tips, admittedly some that I’ve failed to always do myself but have helped me along the way. I hope they help you too:

1. Don’t put off planning life stuff because you might have an interview or an offer. I would have missed out on numerous trips and memories if I’d taken this approach.
2. Don’t eliminate yourself, so many times I had convinced myself I wouldn’t get the job or there would be someone better. Just focus on you. Be your own captain.
3. You can’t control the job market — remember not everything is in your control. Sometimes it’s just the right time, right place.
4. Always ask for feedback. When your ego is bruised you might not feel like hearing it but it was always revealing and a lot of the time much more positive than I expected. it was then when I was told “we don’t think we could offer you the progression you’d want here” or “it was a very borderline decision”.
5. Take a breather before responding. There were definitely a few frustrating moments during the search where it was tempting to send an email I would have later regretted. Don’t feel like you need to reply straight away. Take a day or two to think about your response.
6. Take a break from the search altogether. It felt really odd taking holidays whilst I wasn’t working but it was important for my mental health. I remember one day when I was feeling really flat, I just snuggled up on the sofa and watched a trashy film. Do what feels good.
7. Don’t place other people’s opinions before your own. “Why ask someone for directions when they don’t know where you’re going” — so many times I reached out to people to ask their opinion about a company, a job or what to do next which isn’t always the gift you think it might be.
8. Find a mentor or a coach. I was blessed with both at different points in my search. It’s helped to give my week a focus and to get input from someone who wasn’t my family or partner. It was great to have someone to remind me of the progress I was making even when it didn’t feel like it. Massive thank you to Meera and Richard for keeping me sane.
9. One thing I missed from working was getting feedback, when you’re out of work that stops overnight. Surround yourself with people that can remind you of your worth, my old manager and an old colleague have been in touch almost weekly and have been a really great source of encouragement (thanks Sarah and Nick).
10. Don’t wait for the big moments to celebrate, when I left work I was gifted a bottle of expensive bubbles which have sat in the fridge for the last 6 months awaiting the good news. I’ve since put them back on the shelf and have learned to celebrate life for the precious commodity it is.
11. Say yes to conversations / chats and introductions — you never know what might come of it.
12. Work out what your non-negotiables are but be flexible with the rest.
13. Work out how much £ you need vs how much you want, it’s quite liberating and freeing to know the numbers, and helps with negotiations.
14. Comparison is the thief of joy. Despite loving seeing other people win, it’s difficult to continually see people either celebrating or announcing a new promotion or job and not feel like you’re missing out.
15. Delete Linkedin from your phone.
16. Keep a gratitude diary. It’s easy to get bogged down in what isn’t going well or what’s missing but I’ve found spending time writing/talking about what I’m grateful for helps keep perspective of what’s really important.
17. Keep mentally and physically fit. I haven’t been great at this and would like to have done more but I did sign up for the gym and have been doing a couple of classes a week. I’ve fallen in love with Hatha Flow, and have done meditations/breath work when I’ve felt anxious, it’s been a good release.
18. Lower your expectations. Perfect doesn’t exist. I have a high benchmark but my mentor regularly reminded me that perfect doesn’t exist and she’s right.
19. Trust your instinct. This one speaks for itself but when I’ve felt a bit weird about a role or a person, it’s often been right.
20. Be careful of timewasters. I felt some people didn’t have a genuine motivation when getting in touch, no clear process, timeline, or job description. Ask upfront about things that matter to you.
21. I found Mondays particularly difficult, the week ahead can feel daunting. Trick your mind by doing something different or extending your weekend activities.
22. Don’t give your enemy a seat at your table. You don’t have anything to prove, do it for yourself.
23. Remember direction is more important than speed. Your skills and expertise don’t depreciate with time.
24. Take back your power. Don’t be passive. The process can make you feel powerless but remember only you have your own best interests at heart. Don’t look to a future company for validation or permission.
25. Don’t look back. Know you’re here for a reason.

So where am I now? In short, still looking…

More to follow I’m sure.