Job Hunting - 5 Tips for Introverts

Like many others I know, there are a number of things that I can do very well, but sales is not one of them. By nature, I tend to be an introvert, and I often struggle to find the right words to express myself. This creates problems for me when job hunting.

Unfortunately, job hunting is about selling yourself and your skills. If you are like me, you will have to adapt if you want to get noticed by the right people.

In this article, I'm going to share five adjustments that I have made that are producing better results. If you have any additional tips, please post them in the comments.

Before we go on, there is one book I recommend getting immediately. The book is called “Get Hired Now!” It was written by Ian Siegel, CEO of ZipRecruiter. Seriously, stop reading this and go get the book! I would recommend a digital copy or at least a physical copy because it includes links to important resources.

My Brief Story

In the middle of December 2021, I was informed that the company I was working for was not doing well, and they were going to have to let me go. The company owners asked me to stay on and finish a project I was working on, which I did. That enabled me to continue working until the end of January 2022.

Getting laid off comes with a lot of negative emotions. I'm not going to focus on these. However, I will briefly mention what I felt because our emotions influence our decisions.

While I didn't get emotional in the meeting, my blood did start to boil as I thought more closely about the decision in the following weeks. I've had many sleepless nights and moments where I had to calm down the rage inside of me.

No matter how intense those feelings might be, you have to push those feelings aside as you look for a new job. A negative attitude is only going to hurt your opportunities.

Tip #1 - Network

I found several recent articles referencing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that 85% of jobs are filled through networking.

• Important Networking Statistics Everyone Should Know (2022) [article link]

• 73+ Surprising Networking Statistics to Boost Your Career [article link]

I realized the value of networking a few years ago, but as I mentioned before, I tend to be an introvert. That means putting myself outside my comfort zone. Still, as shown by the statistic above, doing so is definitely worth the effort.

Over the past month, I have made more effort to post and comment on LinkedIn. I have also made an effort to do additional networking with previous professional contacts, some of which have offered to share my resume with their contacts.

An article about the right way to network emphasized an important point. Networking is a two-way street. Part of networking is helping others. [article link]

[link on how to network right

A month before I was laid off, I had shot some promotional video footage for a partner company. I knew that the video would likely never be produced without my involvement. So as soon as I was officially unemployed, I got to work editing the video. [link to video]

I did not charge them for the video since, technically, they had already paid the company that laid me off. My efforts did pay off in another way, though.

The company owner shared my resume with her contacts and told me that I could use her as a professional reference. She also allowed me to post the video on LinkedIn. This allowed me to show my work and provide marketing for their product. As the article mentioned, networking is a two-way street.

Tip #2 - Treat Your Job Search Like A Real Job

When I say "treat your job search like a job," I mean keep track of your time, effort, and any money spent. Doing this changed how I used my resources.

In previous job hunting attempts, I did not budget my resources. I just put as much time and effort as possible into the search, and I simply tried to spend as little as possible on the endeavor. The problem with this approach is that most of my efforts did not produce any results, and I didn’t know why.

Initially, I started my job hunt the same way, but I quickly realized it was getting me nowhere. So I turned my job hunt into a legitimate project and managed it accordingly. I created a charter, set objectives, and defined what I would invest in this project. The investments included:

• The amount of time I would spend actively searching for work (10 hours/week).

• The amount of time I would spend learning new skills, including job-hunting skills. (30 hours/week).

• All of this time is tracked on a spreadsheet.

• How much money I would budget for this project ($500).

  • Job search training course ($297)

  • LinkedIn Premium ($40)

  • Grammarly ($30 for one month subscription)

• I keep track my time and expenses on a simple spreadsheet.

The purpose of making this an actual project was to help me avoid wasting resources on things that would not increase my chances of success.

Tip #3 - Get Professional Help

In my opinion, getting a job has become an overly complex task. One that now often requires guidance and training to navigate.

Knowing that I needed a better strategy for landing the right job, I decided to invest in a job-hunting training program. I ended up spending $297 on Deniz Sasal's LIG course. (I will be sharing some tips from that course in an upcoming post.). I typically don't like spending money on things like this. However, I felt it would be a worthwhile investment if it helped me get a job faster.

Because we are all different, I believe that it is important to find a program that will allow you to be authentic to who you are. Do your research before investing in one of these programs. Look through the free content they have created (YouTube videos, blog posts, etc.), and make sure it aligns with your values.

Tip #4 - Refine Your Job Search and Your Resume

Initially, I was unclear about what type of job to apply for because I was unsure how to define my skill set. Let me explain. In my last position, I was the office manager, photographer, videographer, video editor, macro developer, technical writer, business analyst, trainer, and training content creator. My roles were even broader in the job before that.

My problem is that I'm a generalist, not a specialist. Perhaps your situation is similar.

As a result, at the beginning of my job search. I mostly looked at how much the job paid, reviewed the job skill requirements, and applied if I felt I was a close enough match.

The problem with this method is that I had to adjust my resume for almost every application. That's a lot of wasted time and effort. I needed to narrow my job search and identify what type of job would increase my chances of getting hired. I also needed to define what I wanted from the company. This included compensation and the type of culture and career advancement opportunities.

With my search refined, I can now use one of two versions of my resume for all applications.

(In an upcoming article, I will share some important resume tips that I have recently learned.)

Tip #5 - Skip the Job Boards and Target Hiring Managers

One of the things I learned in the LIG course was how and why online job boards are often a waste of time. I'll go into this in more detail in another post.

It is more beneficial to contact hiring managers because they know what positions might be coming up that are not yet posted. They also have the ability to get you an interview with a real person.

There is a word of caution here. You must be respectful in how you approach hiring managers, and the Letter of Intent (LOI) that you send to them must be exceptionally well written.

(Note: It is recommended that you write about 20 versions and ask for feedback from a trusted acquaintance to ensure that your message is as effective as possible. - [LOI additional link])

Another benefit of this approach is that you are better positioned to avoid scams and fake job posts.

Summary

1 - Don't underestimate the importance of networking. LinkedIn can be helpful in this regard.

2- Set clear objectives for your job search and budget your time and money accordingly.

3 - Find a training course or service that can help you with your job search. Make sure to do your research before spending any money, and make sure it is the right fit for your personality.

4 - Refine your job search and resume to ensure that you are targeting the right jobs. This will save a lot of time and energy in the long run.

5 - Don't waste too much time with job boards. Focus on targeting hiring managers of companies where you would like to work.

My next post will focus on the "years of experience" requirements that have become so prevalent in job descriptions. Is "years of experience" an accurate measurement for skill level?