In an earlier article I suggested a BRAVE approach to finding your next job. It gives you a framework for adding deliberate thinking to an emotional process and your ultimate choice. The crux of the issue is getting at the right weighting of the dimensions driving your choice – especially between your short-term ideal job criteria and long-term goals to optimize the growth potential of your next role. Ask:
- Where to play to focus your job search on where you can be most successful next.
- What matters most to you in terms of the balance of doing good for others, things you’re good at and doing good for yourself.
- How you can win to sharpen your focus on what makes you differentially valuable to potential employers.
- How to connect to guide your message and story.
- How to understand and communicate the impact you can have on potential employers.
Then:
- List your likes and dislikes - your raw data pulled from past activities and jobs - about specifics, not generalities.
- Lay out your ideal job criteria.
- Identify your long-term goals.
- Create a broad range of options.
- Make choices by evaluating your options against your criteria and goals.
Job Search Steps
Prepare your positioning and messaging before contacting any prospective employers.
Between your first contact and their offer, all you’re doing is selling. Everything you say and do, including every question you ask, should help potential employers understand and believe you have the right combination of strengths, motivation and fit to help them. You can’t turn down a job you haven’t been offered.
An offer or multiple offers switches you from selling mode to buying mode. Do your due diligence to understand potential organizational, role and personal risks. Rule out potential jobs with too much risk for you.
Read the full Forbes article to learn about
Job choice
and
Ideal job criteria versus long-term goals