I have heard you. If you have a job and want a change, you want to change fast. And if somehow you've found yourself in a tricky situation with unemployment, you more so than ever want to find a job QUICKLY. I have bad news for you though - it's going to be tough to find a job quickly in this environment. But I know that businesses are bleeding money and people are hurting. So, I've a few things to share:
1. Drop your shy hat
Most of us feel like frauds or worse, like opportunists when asking people if they're aware of any jobs that might suit us. But if you're in a tough spot, please ask for help. Asking for help doesn't come to us naturally because it hurts our ego, makes us vulnerable and makes us think of ourselves like opportunists. However, realise that this drama is mostly in your head and in the chemistry of your body. Yes, we hate to ask for help. Yes, it makes us look like failures. But are we really failures when we ask for help? I would argue, on the contrary, asking for help requires courage and if you're not courageous about your career, no one will be. Drop the shy hat and check out the ego - times like this are won together, not alone.
2. Speak to recruiters, even if you hate them
Erm, I'll be unpopular with my friends for saying this. No one likes to talk to recruiters. However, somehow these are the people who are literally tracking the market real time. These are the guys who profit from the information arbitrage in the talent market. Do they buy and sell talent to make a living? Yes. Do they make you feel like commodities? Also true for most recruiters (not the good ones though!). But can they be agents of help you in finding a job quickly? You bet! It is extremely helpful to have a few recruiter friends who are always looking out for you, famine or feast because you then make yourself available to serendipity from the recruiter world.
3. Both quantity and quality
Under normal circumstances I don't ever recommend this. I don't ever want you to mindlessly apply to a number of jobs with the same resume for for marketing and technology profiles. However if you're asking the question of how to find a job quickly, my answer is do the hard work AND smart work TOGETHER. So apply to all jobs you can with your skill-set, BUT re-position yourself to suit the role you are applying for. However, if you can hold out for that dream profile and don't have a financial crisis going on, I would still advise against this law of large numbers.
4. LinkedIn. LinkedIn. LinkedIn.
If you are not optimising yourself for LinkedIn, you are leaving jobs on the table. Almost all searches are happening on LinkedIn right now and if the algorithm isn't connecting you to as many possible opportunities as possible, you're being overlooked. So make sure you have the right key-words and you show LinkedIn your interests in as much quantity as possible. Basically - spend less time on Instagram or Facebook and spend more on LinkedIn.
5. Find a side-gig
This is my favourite one of all. There's no quicker way of finding a job than creating your own. You might wonder where you would get the money from. But here's the deal. You don't need to invest into creating a business. You could take up freelance gigs on Upwork or Fiver. Or consulting opportunities with people who would pay you for your expertise. The world is your oyster my friend. And this is the fastest way to finding job your dream job and the money to pay your bills.
Would you like me to speak more about how to find a side gig to suit your personality? Let me know.
