The Hunt (Transitioning from the Army Series, Part 5)

Oh good, you're back. I'm was pretty sure nobody would return since the last post was all about feelings and junk. Thanks for coming back, and don't worry, this one is going to be all about tangible stuff. No more feelings, just action! I know some of you have been salivating for specifics, so today we're talking about how to find the right* job.

So by now you've already done everything I've told you to do, right? RIGHT?? Because I know you would never lie to me and skip ahead... You know what your strengths and attributes are, you have your priorities lined up, and your head is screwed on tight. Bottom line: You've got your sh*t together. So let's go get you a job!

not relevant to the subject of this post. But, come on. Batman. With a lightsaber. Fighting a shark. Underwater. It's a no-brainer.

I'm going to present to you my preferred path, because it worked pretty well for me. As always, there are other paths, but this MY damn blog, thank you very much, so we'll talk about how I did it. There are always other options, like the headhunter companies, or going into a family business, or being that guy who hangs out at the dive bars off post for years after he gets out.

To each their own, right? NO. SCREW THAT. This is not a "everyone is perfect, now lets hold hands and respect each other's life choices" kind of blog. We want the world to tremble at the sound of your footsteps and we're going to take the necessary steps to ensure it happens.

Thanks to your earlier efforts, you already know your strengths and you may even know what town or industry you want to go to. So a lot of the work is already done. Seriously. Just think of all the jobs and cities that you DON'T need to consider versus the few you do need to. You just went from fishing in the ocean to fishing in a lake. Last week I was asked to apply to a certain online travel company and I declined, because it was outside the parameters my definition of success had given me. Easy pass. If you know you want to move to Washington DC, and you know you're an Achiever who does well in fast-moving environments, all that's left is to find a company that's hiring that fits the bill. I don't want to diminish the amount of work you'll still need to do, but I think it's important to understand just how much you've achieved by the efforts you've already conducted. Most people just dive right into looking for a job without laying the necessary foundation. Because of this, they constantly jump around and experience tremendous amounts of stress when asked a simple question like "what do you want to do?" But that isn't going to be you, amigo, because you've done all your homework.

Generally speaking, here's the steps I recommend. Please keep in mind this is a framework, purposely generalized so that it remains customizable to individual users. I expect everyone's job hunt to be unique to their needs and situation. Let's begin, shall we?

1) Make a list of potential companies. Seriously, like use Excel or Word or a piece of paper and actually build a friggin list. Best sources for this are trade magazines of the industry(s) that interest you, friends you may have already in the town or business, and of course, Googling for results like "biggest employers in X city", "best companies to work for in X city", or "best X companies in the US". You don't have to use the keyword "best", but I'm not sure what kind of results will come from searching "mediocre company in X city". Good luck with that.

Pick the companies that interest you the most initially. You can always revisit this list later on, as some of your choices won't pan out (sorry). I would like to point out, YET AGAIN, that you don't take this sort of specific step towards finding a job until you have a firm concept of your strengths and your long-term goals. Don't chase the rabbit down the hole.

2) Research the hell out of those companies. More time spent up front trying to determine what you'd enjoy the most will pay huge dividends later down the road as you start interviewing. Don't waste your time applying to companies that make you shrug your shoulders and say "meh". See my resource list below for research methods.

3) Conduct some reconnaissance. Reach out to people at the companies you're interested in. LinkedIn is your friend - find fellow veterans, alumni, people who like the same football team, whatever. Any reasonable relation that allows you to break the ice is good enough to start a dialogue and find out if the company and you are good fits. Remember those attributes and strengths of yours? You're looking for companies that have those same attributes woven into their DNA.

4) Apply. Those people you talked to? Have them give you an insider referral for the jobs you've identified that you want to get. That rockets you to the front of the line, ahead of all the numbskulls who thought that submitting their resume through an online portal was all they had to do to get a job. And of course those people you've talked to are totally going to support your application, because you've already demonstrated that you go the extra mile, do your homework, and are super serious about getting things done.

excuse me, super SERIAL about getting things done

5) Crush interviews. In order to do this, you've got to practice like crazy and finely hone your experiences into easily digestible stories that a civilian can understand. A whole different blog post will cover my experiences with that part of the process.

6) $$$

Well, that's it! Piece of cake, right? Slow down there boss, you may want to keep reading just a bit more.

Marshawn understands your burning desire to jump into the job hunt

Resources

1) LinkedIn. LinkedIn. LinkedIn. One more time - LINKEDIN. Seriously, I don't know why that company doesn't charge $100 per month, it's so valuable. First off, it lets you show your best side to the rest of the world. You build a profile that highlights your career, your strengths, and allows prospective employers to do an easy "drive-by" to make sure you're the sort of person they're looking for. Secondly, you can search for job openings, as most companies now keep up-to-date listings of all their job openings. Third, and MOST importantly, it makes networking SUPER easy. Ahh yes, networking. That all powerful, horribly cliche word that confuses the hell out of most military folks like me. Here's my best explanation. Your network = your net worth. The more people who know you, the more people can vouch for you. In this day and age, where there's an overwhelming quantity of information and 100s of people just like you applying to the same job, DECOMMODITIZING yourself is crucial. What does that mean? It means you can't let yourself just be another resume that is submitted for a job. People have to KNOW you. LinkedIn shortens the amount of time and space necessary to let people know you. With a few clicks, you can find anyone who works at your target company that's a former veteran, a fellow alumni, or from your same hometown. From there, just reach out with a friendly introduction message. 99% of people are super happy to share their opinions and knowledge with someone who's similar to themselves (remember that stuff about tribes from the last post?) That's how I got insider referrals to all the jobs I applied to, and how I was able to quickly assess if certain companies had the type of culture that fit with my strengths. Using the DC example, if after a few phone calls I had discovered that most people didn't describe the company as "quick" or "agile", I knew it wasn't for me.

Important caveat: LinkedIn can easily suck you into a false sense of productivity. Remember those? Some people think that as long as they keep "connecting" with more people on LinkedIn, then some how they are improving their chances of getting a job. LinkedIn isn't Pokemon - you're not trying to catch them all.

LinkedIn needs to be a platform from which you launch surgical strikes on specified companies. It is not a platform for carpet bombing every company you can find with your resume. For the 20th time, LOSERS LOVE TACTICS! Don't get sucked into the minutiae swamp! People aren't in your network because you're connected to them on LinkedIn. They're in your network because you've demonstrated your worth in some manner and they acknowledge that. Understand the difference between the two.

2) Re-read #1. There will be a quiz.

3) Glassdoor. Another super handy website that can work hand in hand with LinkedIn to support your knowledge of a company. It's basically Yelp for companies - employees (current and former) can post reviews of their experiences with the company, known salaries are posted, job openings much like LinkedIn, and...interview reviews! Yeah, so you can seriously read what other peoples' experiences were as they went through the interview process with the company. Companies can curate their page on Glassdoor, but they aren't allowed to edit content. This prevents them from deleting negative reviews, but also allows them highlight the company's works and respond to reviews. A sign of a healthy company is their web presence and I think Glassdoor offers you a nice lens into the company well before you get there.

That's it for now, my fellow freedom fighters. Stay tuned for my next post!

* Ah yes, the "right" job. What exactly is the right job? Let's acknowledge upfront that we're all special snowflakes with infinitely complex personas, so there isn't a "right" job out there waiting for us. There are lots of "pretty good" jobs that we can find after diligently hunting (see above). If a job has met all the criteria that you've laid out - meets your definition of success, engages your best attributes, etc. than you can rest assured that it's a "pretty good" job. Here's the concept we've got to understand - it's not about making the RIGHT CHOICE, it's about making a CHOICE, then making it RIGHT. See the difference? The former is for people who fret and worry all day if they are selecting the best possible option, wasting valuable time as life passes them by. The later is for people who understand that you make your own damn luck and no matter what situation you land in, you're going to OWN it. Read more about it here. What kind of person do you want to be?