They aren't kidding when they say looking for a job is a full-time job. It's a business. There is marketing (job applications, LinkedIn profile, social media posts, referrals, etc), sales (phone screens, interviews), product/engineering (your previous experience), and finance (your bank account, which gets less patient by the month without results).
In framing it this way, I realize what my weakness really is, marketing. I am terrible at it (and at the same time, never thought about how important it truly is).
Current state
Using TRM scores, let's review my current marketing health:
Cold applications: -66%
Cold applications +custom resume: -86%
Cold applications +custom resume +cover letter: -90%
Recruiters: +4%
Referrals: +11%
Cold applications +custom resume: -86%
Cold applications +custom resume +cover letter: -90%
Recruiters: +4%
Referrals: +11%
The above shows how valuable the time I spend on each "marketing effort" results in a "sales lead" (interview). There are clear winners and clear losers (ugh the time I spent on cover letters/customized resumes is disheartening ... even with help from AI).
Reviewing opportunities
Now let's review some ideas to grow my leads (where the "price" is my time, no pun intended):
- Create a new referral (by doing something with others ... for example, I just joined the athletic boosters for our daughter's school): -45%
- Networking with existing folks: +18%
- Continue cold applications: -22% (notice how this changed, this is because the first option changed the "time" investment)
- Leveraging bulk applying: -37% (great on time, but increases risk)
- Create a LinkedIn post: +209% (!!!)
- Networking with existing folks: +18%
- Continue cold applications: -22% (notice how this changed, this is because the first option changed the "time" investment)
- Leveraging bulk applying: -37% (great on time, but increases risk)
- Create a LinkedIn post: +209% (!!!)
Are you here by chance because of my (marketing) LinkedIn posts?