There is nothing more frustrating than stupid bosses, complaining co-workers and a slim paycheck for all your hard work and dedication. So how do you get a new job? There are three simple steps to getting hired at your Dream Job. It may take three to six months, so if you’re feeling antsy and want to have a new job before then, get started now. First, it helps to have an action plan.
When you are ready to scream “I quit!” and run from the building, it’s well past time to start hatching your exit strategy. First, know that getting a new job can take time, so don’t wait until you are ready to quit to start looking for your next assignemnt.
The time to start is when youare beginning to get bored, antsy and frustrated. If you sense there is no way up, or to evolve your current position, then it’s time to look out and find something better suited to where youwant to be in the next two years. (Of course have that conversation with your manager or boss, since you may have an onramp right where you are to get to a better assignment or a higher level.)
Even after discussions with the higher ups you are feeling like this isn’t a fit? Not feeling it for your company, your job duties, your co-worker or your boss and his or her boss? It’s time to start the process of moving on. Most people estimate three to six months, depending on your industry, your pickiness and your level. The higher you are on the corporate ladder, the more likely you are to take longer for that perfect position to open up, but when it does you want to be ready!
Here are three simple steps to take now to get a new job
Make a list of the Jobs You Want
First, figure out your industry, and within that general category, write down a handful of companies you would be willing or eager to work for. At the top should be Dream Job and Company Number One, at the end of the list will be I Would Take It Now to Make the Move and Get What I Really Want Later. Note that this list is likely to change.
What you want now (industry, company and job description) may change as you learn more or try new things. Not only is that natural, it’s healthy to evolve your thinking as you talk to more people in jobs similar to the ones you are shooting for. What you want now is a direction and that vector is likely to shift. You can adjust your goals as you learn what you are good at, what you enjoy and what you can get paid for.
Make a List of People to Talk To
This is a list of friends and work contacts who will not rat you out for making it clear you are trying to leave your current position. If you are worried it will get back to your boss, say something like “I am just learning more about this industry, and what types of jobs are out there.” If you are not sure whether you want marketing or sales, meet with people who do both and find out what their day to day tasks look like.
You are on a fact-finding mission. People love to be asked three questions: What do you do? How did you get here? What advice would you have for me? At the end of the meeting ask if they know of one or two other peoplethey would suggest you talk to or would introduce you to.
Pinpoint people at the Dream Company, or those who have worked there to get a better sense of whether it’s really where you want to be. Now make a point of meeting people for coffee, lunch, drinks and zoom video calls. Thank them for their time afterward and keep them up to date on your journey. Definitely tell them when you land that new job since everyone likes to take ownership in your success.
Start Doing the Job You Want to do
This is assuming you want to be a writer, or designer, a travel agent or documentary film maker — something creative you can do in your spare time. If you have a day every weekend or a few hours before or after work to start pursuing your dream then just start. The more you do this, the further along you will get and by the time you want to quit your day job you may even have some clients paying you enough to start your own business.
In the case of one friend who hated her corporate job and wanted to quit to become a personal trainer, she got her license, started an instagram and began training friends. Once her name got out there through referrals she was ready to charge real money and then created an app and now has a successful personal training business. Whatever it is you want to do, start it now, for free, so when you get the opportunity to get paid for it, you have the experience you need to succeed.
Next, Envision Yourself In your new role, Then Be It
Visualization works in so many areas: Sports, healthy behavior and even professional pursuits. Before I became a magazine editor I had to see myself as someone capable of editing stories and coming up with ideas. When I got my chance to switch from being a newspaper reporter to an editor at a weekly, I was already thinking this way, and it made the transition to editing easier.
This works when you have the time and temperament to see yourself stepping into the role you crave. If you need training or certification or some other credential, simply back it up, step by step to where you sit now. Want tlo write a screenplay or TV treatment, then take a course in screen writing, or go online and find useful seminars from professionals willing to share their advice on how to write dialogue that moves the plot forward. (Okay that’s me again. I am trying to write a TV treatment and find dialogue is the hardest part!)
Whatever it is you want to accomplish, there is a way of learning or finding people willing to teach you. Then just start trying your hand at whatever it is you love: Baking, writing, or coaching. If you want to be a social media marketer, get your social media presence in order. The first thing anyone will do is check out your feeds on IG, TikTok and X.
Check Job Listings, Then Contact People on the Inside
Once you see a job that you like listed on Linked In or Glassdoor or other job board, reach out to your (now extended) work network to see if anyone knows the hiring manager or another person in a position to offer you a “pull” in from inside the walls. Many companies offer a “finder’s fee” or bounty to the recommending employee who helps fill a key position so likely as not, the insider will be happy to help!
Bottom Line: Getting a new job requires proactive steps and planning. Count on it taking between three to six months from start to finish to get hired at your Dream Job, including reaching out about an opening, getting the intervivew, passing all the onboarding requirements and showing up on your first day.
Don’t be shy and hope that your work stands for itself or that your stellar reputation is so widely admired that someone will come seek you out. Job hunters are job getters. Start your hunt today. And you may just have a new position by the end of summer!
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