Searching for a new job? The prospect of a new job can be exciting (and daunting), so here are some tips to aid in your search for your new gig or career.
These recommendations can be applied pretty much across the board, no matter what job level you’re seeking or the type of career you’d like to land. Whether you’re an aspiring yogi, programmer or recent college graduate, having a method to the madness that is job hunting will always give you a leg up on the competition.
Just like any good athlete will do and tell you: don’t get ready; stay ready! Be sure to always have a current resume, always be building new contacts and strengthening old ones. As well as always learning and seek growth opportunities.
Be present in the work you are doing. You never know when you will have to ask for a recommendation. As the saying goes, find the work you love and you will never have to work again. This is very true. Although you may feel pressured to take the first high paying job that comes across, remember that a job is not necessarily a career -- and a career must cohabit with your personal life.
Increase your network. It’s not all about business card swapping; rather, aim to build meaningful relationships with a greater diversity of people. These relationships will help when searching for and securing new job opportunities. A cursory search into famous business, movie, or historical figures will show you that. Grand Rapids groups that can help you with networking include Equity Drinks, BLEND and Drinks & Digital.
Do you have a mentor, coach and sponsor? Do you know the difference?
Non-profit organization Catalyst states it elegantly: “A coach talks to you; a mentor talks with you; a sponsor talks about you.”
A coach will help guide you through your career development. You can have more than one coach, and they do not necessarily have to be from your same career field.
A mentor is there to help you navigate your career choices. This relationship is often limited to fewer people, and many people often settle on one person as their mentor. Your mentor does not necessarily have to be from your career field, but having one that does often deepens the relationship and the wisdom that they provide.
A sponsor is like your promoter; they are someone in your career field that has a senior or influential status that can speak on your character, skills and experience. A sponsor must be in your career field to be effective in promoting who you are to other higher level professionals.
These relationships must be built over time and are driven by you. It can take time to find a mentor, whereas coaches can be found by asking a senior professional directly. A mentor will take time and energy to build and show that the relationship will benefit both parties. Finally the sponsor can often take more time, especially if you are still in an early development stage in your career. The first step starts with asking.
This may seem intimidating or formulaic at first, but it is a natural consequence of successful people. To add to the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” it was also definitely not built by a single person. Behind every successful person there are countless people who have helped along the way, whether they are coaches, mentors, sponsors, contemporaries, or friends. The importance of knowing that you are not alone, and that you cannot do it all alone, is the first step in the right direction.
Volunteering, internships and side jobs are a great way to build skills, networks and experience, with the latter allowing you the extra income to build up a savings. To learn more about volunteering opportunities in and around Grand Rapids, you can go here and here for internships.
Nothing is more awkward than a cold email to a loose contact for a recommendation letter. It’s not about being a wanderer or a job nomad, but rather always following your passion and building yourself up. Some jobs will help add to your skill set, others to your network, and most to your experience, while some others are missteps. It’s OK to have a plateau where you gain your bearings and just maintain your career; life isn’t all about work. Life is meant to be lived!
Check out some of these local job boards and see if they pique your interest. If you are searching your mind for who your coach, mentor, or sponsor could be no need to rush. It takes time to build.
StartUp Jobs
City of Grand Rapids Jobs
Ken Miguel-Cipriano is Rapid Growth’s innovation and jobs editor. To reach Ken, you can email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
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