As the warmer weather encourages us to have sports on the brain, it’s helpful to look at the lessons that translate from the sports field to the job search field. The idea that offense wins the game is particularly relevant in this job market where anxiety and uncertainty about the market abound.
As the warmer weather encourages us to have sports on the brain, it’s helpful to look at the lessons that translate from the sports field to the job search field. The idea that offense wins the game is particularly relevant in this job market where anxiety and uncertainty about the market abound. It’s easy not to fault jobseekers for playing it safe. I have even advised jobseekers to remember that Bold Job Search Moves Are Not Required. But while I don’t suggest every job search tactic be the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, the reality is that defense just keeps you in the search, but offense gets you the job.
Reviewing your resume over and over again for typos is defense. Positioning your resume with the language and detail that gets you the job you want is offense. Positioning is proactive. You are targeting specific opportunities and putting yourself out there to attract these.
Rekindling old contacts and reconnecting with friends is defense. You are maintaining your network, and while that’s good, it’s incomplete. Seeking out those people who are specific decision-makers in your areas of interest and developing a relationship with them is offense. You are proactively (there’s that word again!) making opportunities for yourself, rather than relying on whomever you happen to know or come across.
Scouring the job boards and filling out applications is defense. You are covering your bases, but you are reacting to someone else’s (the employers’) moves. Identifying specific companies that you want to serve, researching their pain points, and positioning yourself as the solution is offense. You are not waiting for something to open up. You make something open up. You make the employer realize that they have a need, and you fill that need, and you proactively (more proactive behavior!) make the match.
Playing offense does not mean being risky or reckless. It just means being thoughtful and brave enough to do those activities that will make things happen for you, rather than let things happen to you. If the dream job is the goal, where are you on your field? What are you going to do to score? You can’t just block your competitors. You yourself must enter the end zone, cross that finish line, or make that play. It’s always your move. Get on the offensive in your job search.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
How Do You Score On Employers’ Top Five Desired Skills?
Even if you are happily employed, work environments and priorities change. You want to make sure that you are not getting complacent and allowing your skills to rust. The above five skills are always valued, but the standards by which they are measured change over your career. Maybe you got to where you are now because of superior analytical skills and despite below average communication skills, but now you are a manager.
