It’s hard to stay in a job when you don’t feel valued or you’ve just outgrown it. Sometimes, though, it’s important to stay for just a little bit longer so you can stage your departure.
I know, right? Sounds nuts. You’re done. They’re taking advantage of you; they don’t appreciate those extra hours you put in, or even notice the extra effort you gave that last project. Maybe, like me, you just got bored. But, take it from me, before you put in that notice; give yourself time to put together your marketing tools so you can find the right next job.
LinkedIn – Resumes – Networking – Oh My!
Marketing tools/branding kit – it all means the same thing – LinkedIn profile, an updated résumé, and an updated networking pitch. Sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it? Particularly if you’ve been at the same job for years or you’re re-entering the workforce. Why is making sure your marketing tools are up-to-date so important?
Here’s the thing, there are literally 100’s of people going after the same job. So you have to stand out. You can stand out by being so out of date that your materials get thrown in the trash. Or you can have materials that so accurately reflect your personality, your mission at work, and your buy in to their mission that companies beat down the door to get to you.
LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to make your LinkedIn profile the first thing potential employers see when they Google you (and they will Google you). If you can control how people see you, why wouldn’t you want the very best profile possible? I know, you think it’s a pain, and one more social media gambit. But it’s not. 92% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates. Do you want to be the person they can’t find? Didn’t think so….
Motivated, Team-Player, Prompt
Updated résumé – and I do mean updated. Not your résumé from the 90’s. No objective at the top and paragraphs explaining your experience. No words like efficient, motivated, team-player, yada, yada, yada. All those things will land your résumé in the trash bin. The best résumés are targeted to the specific job you’re going for. They have key words in the experience section that match what the job description. They’re brief, but not too brief. And they are created from your .
Networking pitch and plan – yep. That old devil, your elevator pitch. This is where doing the homework on your Omnibus Work History and doing some work on understanding where and why you’ve been successful will help you create a compelling pitch. People will be attracted to you because you know how to tell your story. The best networkers know the trick to productive networking is offering help instead of asking for something. Learn how to identify what you have to offer – introducing people, what you know about a specific industry, an article you read recently – and use that to connect.
Now, I’m thinking this sounds overwhelming to you. It is a lot. I know you can do it. So I’ve included a couple of articles to help you.
Declare your independence from that job you’ve outgrown!
Watch. Read. Learn.
Read: Matching Mission Statements
Read: How to tell your story when you’ve done some of everything!
