Your Job Search Plan
A plan and an objective are essential to success when searching for a new job. Yet, they are often omitted, especially by first-time and reentering seekers, and sometimes, by those transitioning to a new career. That’s why I place so much emphasis on having a Job Search Objective (JSO).
A job seeker with a JSO is similar to a startup with a business hypothesis, where a product or service (like the job for the seeker) is imagined and brought into existence. For a startup, a hypothesis might be, “People lose weight by walking. If we build an easy-to-use app that helps people walk more, they will lose weight, rave about our app, which will sell more apps, and grow our business.” For the job seeker, it might be, “If I can secure this specific job, I can gain experience and develop contacts that will get me one job closer to achieving my goal.”
Admittedly, this is relatively simple—but stick with me.
Just Starting (first job)
Developing a hypothesis is hard for this group because they are just beginning and have not yet gained the experience to create one. What’s essential for this group, however, is to learn by working with others in real-time what they:
Like to do.
Are good at doing.
What comes easily to them (compared to their peers and co-workers).
Learning this on the job, early in their working lives, is crucial to later success. (Think back to your first or second job. Are there any takeaways you remember or still use?) Their JSO hypothesis can be aspirational and straightforward: “If I take this job and do this work, I think I will like it.” This hypothesis will be quickly affirmed or shot down. But it’s all good, as critical data will be generated, especially about what they like to do and are good at.
Transitioning to a New Career (work redos)
The people in this category should know what they like, are good at, and what comes easily based on work done in other fields; thus, their JSO hypothesis can be more refined. “I can manage the requirements of this position because of my previous experience. I will enjoy and be good at this work because it aligns with what (I have learned) I like to do. I will gain 18 to 24 months of experience and then move deeper into the field with my second role.” This group tests their hypotheses from their first day on the job, which may lead to educated pivots, small and large, as they progress on their journey.
Reentering (the workforce with background snags)
The folks in this group need well-defined and specific JSO hypotheses. Compared to the two above, there will be less testing and more immediate implementation. What someone likes and is good at is essential, but there may be limitations to entry due to background issues. Therefore, the mission is to secure a role that connects and aligns with a longer-term goal thoughtfully yet quickly. A hypothesis might be, “If I can secure this entry-level role and retain it, I will gain experience (work history) and connections (references), which will allow me to move forward to my next position, leading to my longer-term goal.”
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So why does the Reentry group need a tighter JSO hypothesis than the others? In short, resources and time may be in short supply, making the stakes higher for background-challenged job seekers. Furthermore, job misfires must be avoided at all costs because starting from scratch (again) is extremely difficult as these folks have zero work-world contacts to leverage. Moreover, emotional investment (their own and of those close) will be high, leading to magnified expectations—that “things are finally, thank God, starting to work out.” Hmm.
Considering the JSO hypothesis as an “if this, then this” proposition is helpful for all three groups. They are all different, as are the nuances of their searches, but by simply having and using a JSO, they get a built-in point of comparison, their “best guess” idea, the hypothesis.
Did things pan out as planned?
Was the hypothesis proven?
If yes, great; build on it. If not, analyze why and where things veered, regrouping accordingly.
The whole point is to inject thoughtfulness into the process—better yet, a thoughtful strategy designed to prevent diving in and grabbing something, anything, because “something/anything” is just what you’ll get.
Onward.