The year is rapidly winding down, and meetings are underway to plan for Q1 hiring. Whether you plan to look for a job or want to be opportunistic in case a role opens, or you are forced out of your current position, now is the time to prepare.
Review your current resume. Make sure that your current responsibilities/transactions/investments are included. Close out the dates on old jobs. Include your graduation dates especially if you are out of school less than ten years. Check for typos! It is not necessary to have your home address on the resume. Only a mobile number and email address are needed. No one is going to mail you anything. If you are in the financial field, don’t get creative, the Harvard Business School model still works best. If you have an extensive deal track record, consider doing a one-page resume plus a second page listing those deals.
Update your LinkedIn profile. Add details to your job description, not just a title unless it is descriptive. If you are employed, consider making your contacts confidential so that recruiter and competitor links are not visible to your employer. If you are not employed, the question revolves around the open to work banner. I do not have an answer. Some people think it’s helpful to identify potential candidates and others think it looks desperate. My opinion leans to the latter, but it does attract attention. It’s a personal choice.
Start extending LinkedIn requests. Make sure you are linked to your friends and contacts first. Then, target individuals at firms that interest you as potential future employers.
Craft your story. Put together a narrative that briefly explains your background and another that briefly describes what you are looking for. If you spend 5 minutes on either or both, you will likely lose the attention and interest of the interviewer. It’s the old elevator pitch. Have one! Then be able to discuss each of your roles succinctly, touching on key points and putting emphasis on your successes. Be ready to discuss failures too. If you are looking at an investment role, have a view of the markets and 1-2 fully developed investment ideas to discuss. Be prepared to discuss why you want to leave your role or why you were let go. There is no shame is being let go so do not lie or mislead the interviewer. We have seen candidates lose offers because they were not truthful about getting fired or laid off. Not everyone is a good fit for every role.
Start networking. Let your friends know that you are looking. Contact trustworthy recruiters and let them know you are actively or passively looking for a new role and what you are looking for. Attend holiday parties and make a good impression. Consider skipping or limiting cocktail consumption, ordering a mocktail, or just holding a glass if it’s a business event.
Send out your resume. Try to find a person to send your resume to rather than blindly answering ads especially from large organizations where they are likely to use screening software. Follow up. If you have a mutual friend or acquaintance, ask them to endorse you. Save that personal touch for the jobs that truly excite you. Don’t overuse your friends and contacts.
Set up a system. Put together a spreadsheet with everyone you speak with, their contact information and when you last spoke with them. Make sure to send out thank you’ s for their time. You may want to calendar them for another call. Whenever you come across information that might interest someone on your list, send it over or make the introduction. They will be more likely to think of you when they hear of a relevant opening. Once you move to that new job, you will have your thank you list readily available. And when you post on LinkedIn, you will have a larger universe of contacts going forward.