So after a bit of a hiatus, we’re back with “Ask A Progeek” and a new question – or set of questions:
What kind of things should you do to prepare for an interview? How much time should you spend on it?
Let’s answer these in reverse order.
Steve’s Job Search 2012: It’s A Campaign
Yes, you’re probably wondering “With a New Job, how is it that Steve has time to write this series?” First I wrote it up in my break between search and new job. Second I type fast. Third, because it’s what I do. Fourth, because this is all in my head and I want it out now.
One thing I found quickly is that a job search really is a campaign, like a marketing campaign, the installation of new software in an office, etc. A job search is a focused, multi-faceted effort that needs the right resources, the right goals, and the right navigation to get there. It’s not just sending out a few resumes and hoping.
Have Your Materials: Have your cards, resumes, portfolio, personal site, LinkedIN profile, etc. all up to date, all their data unified, and ready to go. These are how people find you, see you, and contact you.
Have Your Story Together: Make sure you have a narrative that is reflected in your interviews, in your materials, and in your head. You need a story, just as sure as a marketing campaign tells a tale.
Hit Hard – But Check Your Targets: As noted I’m all for a job search blitz, but you also need to find the best ways to get the word about you out. That’s going to require some assessments, analysis, and a few about-faces. Analyze what’s working for you and what’s not, figure which job board, recruiter, or contact yields the best results, etc. Sometimes spreading your net wide is good, and narrowing in later, sometimes not.
No Turning Back, Just Going Around: You’re in this for the duration, you don’t give up, you just redirect and reorder your efforts. It’s important to find the balance between charging on and choosing a different direction to charge into. You’ll need to find that.
Sell, Sell, Sell: Always look for opportunities, always think of new ways to get you out there, always explore options.
Tie It Together: Tie all your efforts together. Ask that person who didn’t hire you why so you can tweak your resume. Pass friends on to the recruiter who’s helping you (builds more allies). Ask that HR person you just met to pass you along. Every effort, contact, and thing you do should be maximized for results.
You do this – and adapt – until you get a job. Just the way marketing campaigns target, focus, and refocus. Just the way an educational campaign adapts to the needs of target audiences. You don’t quit, you keep going, in one big, unified effort.
It’s a campaign.
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/
Promoting Professional Geekery #45: Write About Progeeks And Progeekery
(For more Promoting Professional Geekery, see this Roundup of past columns.)
So you want to promote professional geekiness, to inspire, to help. You’d like to write about it. The only thing is you don’t have anything to write about.
You’re not a resume expert, you’re not a coach, you’re not really good at the whole advice thing. Not everyone can do it, of course, but you know for sure that you really, are really BAD at this, or at least don’t know where to start.
Or perhaps you just don’t have enough experience to be the expert. You’re a new progeek, an up-and-comer, or something similar. So what can you do?
You can write about us.
Not advise, not guide, write about us. You don’t advise or help progeeks (since you’re not sure you’re capable of it). What you do is help show what we do and who we are.
You can:
- Interview people who are progeeks (Hey, i suggested that you be interviewed, so turn the tables).
- Analyze and write about trends in jobs and progeekery.
- Profile who industries or career subgroups (it might even be a book).
You get the idea. With a bit of effort, it’s easy to help people be progeeks and improve their progeekery by giving them information and making them more visible. If you’re not a coach, you can be a reporter and analyst.
Best of all? In time, you’ll start getting the knowledge and skills and experience that may let you go deeper and start coaching and advising . . .
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/