7 Steps for Approaching Your Search from Scratch

1. Set your intentions 

List out your values and non-negotiables: 

Size of company? Remote/hybrid/in-person? Primarily venture funded or profitable? Salary band? 

Time zone preference? Flexibility? Quality healthcare coverage and other family benefits?

What are you looking to extract from this next role? How are you hoping to learn and grow? What do you look for in a manager and team members? What type of culture are you seeking out? 

Do you want to manage a large or small team? Do you want to be an individual contributor only? 

2. Organize

Track companies and roles you’re interested in a Google or Excel sheet. 

List contacts you already know from each company and build prospects for the ones you don’t. 

Usually the management team is listed in the job description, so ideally try to find the hiring manager or someone on the same team of the role you’re applying for. Send them a short, but meaningful message that conveys your passion for the brand and role.

Keep tabs on jobs you’ve applied for and the status of your application/interview process. 

3. Work off momentum

Realize you’ll need to send X resumes and take X amount of interview calls to yield X offers to accept 1 job.

Continue to search for value aligned roles, apply, send messages to hiring managers or appropriate team members, and interview despite where you’re at. 

You never know how things will turn out, so it’s best to continue working off the momentum that follows volume. 

This doesn’t mean “spray and pray,” but rather continue to execute thoughtfully on your search. 

The more you “shoot your shot” with intentionality, the more likely you are to land something you genuinely want sooner than later. 

4. Stand out, and don’t be afraid to take risks in doing so

Whatever feels “right” and authentic to you to stand out, do that.

Dig for hiring manager's info. 

Find ways around the application tracking system. 

Bake a cake. Build a website. Send a card. Record yourself briefly introducing yourself. 

Share some insights, articles or info you might have that pertains to a company’s current challenge.

Make a piece of content.

5. Do your research on recruiters before you reach out 

Take a look at their online presence, websites that list open roles, and current clients. 

Do you fit the "profile" of the type of search they fill? Are there any relevant open jobs? 

That's a great starting place. Ask them how to best engage with them. 

If they’re not a fit to work with you, ask them if they know any other recruiters who may be.

6. Don’t take things personally

Envision that for each role, there are at MINIMUM 300+ applicants. 

Imagine many of them are as amazing and as, or more qualified as you.

Ask for feedback if you are confused as to why they’ve passed. 

Follow up and remain on positive terms, even if you’re rejected.  You never know when other openings are soon to follow. 

7. Stay grounded and trust your gut 

Don't get down on yourself. You're not alone, and you will find a great job, its only a matter of time.

When things don’t go “as planned,” (which they very rarely, if ever do) don’t allow your emotions to get the best of you. Otherwise, this can trickle into the rest of your search mentality and interview process, which won’t help you move forward. 

Observe how you feel and how you’re treated in the interview process. If something feels off to you, honor that. 

Don’t convince yourself to falsely shift your mindset because of what other people have had to say about the company.