In my “Quick Step to Your New Career” service, I often assist clients with their job search strategy.
Here’s a glimpse into the process – it might help you design your own!
- First, identify your skills and experiences, especially those you’ve overlooked.
For instance, administrative tasks in academic work are substantial and valuable selling points. Managing grants or courses involves project management, staff hiring and training, leadership development, etc., which all need to be documented.
2. The next phase involves looking for potential employers.
Be sure to pinpoint key industries and companies that may hire you along with their locations.
3. Understanding how and where they advertise jobs is also crucial; for example do they use LinkedIn or do you have to get email alerts from their website?
Sign up for weekly searches and email alerts (The Guardian and LinkedIn offer this)
4. Then, you need study these organizations closely – following them on LinkedIn reveals their language style including the skills gaps that they have; don’t forget the soft skills.
Become familiar with using the specific keywords they use on LinkedIn.
5. Researching employees who already hold positions you desire helps understand how best to present yourself professionally.
6. Subsequently, you need to learn how to market yourself and your skills effectively
Craft an impactful ‘about section’ on your profile as well as tailoring your CV according to industry-specific keywords identified earlier.
7. Finally, you need to network.
Use informational interviews within the target organization(s).
With these interviews and close following of news within the industry, you can refine what problems you solve based on the industry’s needs.
This will all put you in a very good position to apply and interview successfully!
Remember, you need to show them how your unique skills will solve their problems!
This is just one part of the process. You also need to reevaluate and rediscover your skills and neglected talents (I bet academia ignored your biggest strengths), and be able to articulate them well. Further, you need to articulate how these skills have aided your problem-solving and what impact that’s had.
And if you can also examine what tasks and activities and lifestyle choices will fulfill you, then you are way ahead of the game of life after academia! 🙂
I offer this comprehensive assistance under my Quick Step service (including drafting non-academic resumes).
However, you can certainly implement these strategies independently too!
It simply involves meticulous processes like analyzing numerous LinkedIn profiles and job postings among others. It’s research, but just a little different!
