Speed up your 2024 Job Search with a Proactive Strategy

 Read Time: 4 min

Many job seekers have a passive approach to their job search:

• Update LinkedIn profile and hope to get noticed by a recruiter.
• Apply to job postings and wait for a response or the dreaded rejection email.
• Attend interviews and hope to advance to the next round.

In an ideal world, this would be enough, but we know that's not how it works in this job market.

Using a passive approach does not equate to a lack of effort.

You can spend hours on your job search every week and still be a "passive" job seeker.

A passive approach means you are hoping for someone else to notice you instead of making yourself impossible to miss.

In other words, it means you are being reactive instead of proactive.

The Proactive Approach: The Game-Changer

A proactive approach involves taking deliberate actions to create opportunities and taking control of your job search. 

There are many external factors (layoffs, oversaturated job market, less remote jobs, etc.) that explain why job searching is difficult right now, but you can only focus on what you can control.

Here’s how to shift from a passive to a proactive job search and make yourself impossible to miss...

During every stage of your job search, ask yourself, "What can I do right now to move the needle?"

If you apply for a role, get in front of the right people instead of waiting to hear back. 

• Reach out to the recruiter to let them know you applied and give 1-2 reasons why your application is worth checking out. 

• Send a personalized message to the hiring manager to get their attention and explain how you could provide immediate value to their team. 
• Do you know someone at the company? Or know someone who knows someone? Reach out and ask for an introduction or for them to pass your resume to the hiring manager. 

• Network with 2-3 employees to learn more about the company and role.

Prepare for objections; don't get caught off guard. 

• Review the job description, identify potential gaps, and prepare how you will effectively address those gaps within the interview. 
• Create a positive and cohesive narrative around your career breaks or short tenure.
• Career Changers: Practice articulating your transferrable experience and consider specific work examples that most closely mirror the job responsibilities you're applying for. 

 Ask for help along the way; don't wait for people to offer.

• Reach out to the hiring manager for a dry run before an interview presentation. 
• Ask for insights and guidance from existing employees when you meet with them to network. 
• Reach out to friends or former colleagues to do mock interviews or dry runs. 

If you finished an interview, don't wait for them to decide before you reach back out:

• Send a thoughtful post-interview thank you email to each of your interviewers, highlighting what you enjoyed about the conversation and addressing any necessary items from the interview. 
• Build out and send a thoughtful onboarding (30-60-180) plan to the hiring manager. 
• Take a certification on the company product and share it with your interviewers.
• Follow up after 2-3 days to check in with the recruiter. Stay persistent and enthusiastic. 

These are just some of the many actions you can take to be proactive in your job search.

It's a mindset shift.

Instead of focusing on everything outside your control, focus on what you can do that will make you impossible to miss and an overall stand-out candidate. 

Key Takeaways

1.  Don't wait for a recruiter or hiring manager to notice you; make yourself impossible to miss. Think ahead and do the outreach, send the follow-up, build the portfolio or onboarding plan to help you stand out, and create your own opportunities. 
2.  During every stage of your job search, ask yourself, "What can I do right now to move the needle?" And then go out of your way to do precisely that. 

As you navigate the demanding job market of 2024, take control of your job search and create opportunities by being proactive every step of the way. 

If you could use help landing your next AE or SE role, we can help! Apply to work with us 1-on-1. We'll personally reach out to chat about how we can help you accelerate your job search.