Proactive vs. Reactive Searching
Throughout our lives, most of us have experienced the rush of the last-minute push to get something done. Whether it’s rushing to meet that 12am deadline for a paper, turning in our kid’s summer camp deposits at the 11th hour or delivering on a painful work project, we’ve all felt that burn to finish a task.
To be honest, I have never been one to love the rush of a deadline. I was the type of person to find out a 10-page paper was due at the end of the semester in college, and would proceed to do one paragraph of the paper every week. This strategy would give me the satisfaction of being largely done with the paper and ready to submit before the feeling of pressure felt too much to bear.
Although that strategy was not always perfect, it helped keep me engaged in the process and be ready for any curve balls thrown my way before I needed to submit.
Unfortunately, in this job market, the dreaded last minute “check-in” meeting dropped on a calendar has become all too common. Whether you are blindsided by a lay off or have a suspicion, it can feel completely overwhelming to begin your search reacting to your situation, as opposed to having a springboard to plan.
BUT where do you begin if there’s no change on the horizion??
Here are some quick tips to stay in control of your job search process:
Accomplishment Tracking: Create a document with notable work highlights every few months. This may include describing a project you were proud of, quantifying your impact or highlighting a key win or new task or skill acquired. Having a list you can refer to and jog your memory, especially if your tenure is lengthy, can make updating and aligning a resume much easier than trying to remember your wins when you may not be in your best head space.
Upskilling even in small moments: Professional development budgets tend to be the first item to get cut from corporations during hard times, but utilizing free resources provided by your company and/or community library (there are a TON!) can help you stay current on trends in your industry, as well as areas you are hoping to pursue in the future.
Knowing how to engage in multiple industries: If you have spent the majority of your career in education, it can feel scary to look at roles that are not titled “Teacher”. However, transferrable skills are everywhere and can cut across so many different industries and functions. Spend time looking at job descriptions and seeing where your skills can intersect other roles. While, “Corporate Trainer” is not the same title as “Teacher”, the strengths needed for both align very closely. Knowing your skills across industries makes a huge difference when needing to or wanting to pivot.
Offering Encouragement and mentorship: It is true what they say, the more you put in, the more you get out. If mentoring is not your thing, finding other ways to give back to others in your current role will not only help you build meaningful connections, but it will also provide a support system in an expected or unexpected search process.
By investing in your own job search strategy while gainfully employed, you can create a proactive search process that feels less chaotic and more aligned with your next move.
While you can’t change the weather, having a strong umbrella in your own rainstorm certainly makes the rain feel less daunting.
