Upand$tarting

This is a timely post that discusses something that I’ve been through lately (and explains why I haven’t posted in a while). I’ve recently changed jobs, moving to another start-up a little further down the monetization path than what I am normally attracted to, to take advantage of an amazing opportunity and work for a proven executive team. I thought this would be a great basis for a post on how to look for a job when you already have one and how to resign from your current job the right way once you get a new one.

The job search

Maybe you are discouraged or dispirited at your current position or you find yourself having a lot of free time either from procrastination or low work load. Either way, you may decide to use this time to search for a new job. Don’t. It is important to understand that your current employer not only pays you for your time on the job to do the job, but also pays for the pipe that gives you access to the internet while working; and most likely tracks your activity. Sure – you may have decided to move on, but do it your own way, not by foolishly doing something that will get you fired before you are ready to move on.

Concrete Steps (What I Did or What Worked For Me)

The first thing I did in preparing for my job search was to make sure my resume was up to date. Then I started to flesh out and write up what I call “experience nuggets”. Your resume should always be as up to date as possible, but experience nuggets move beyond your bullet points and tell stories of your successes. You want to flesh out 3 to 4 nuggets for each job on your resume and make sure they are flexible enough to tailor to the job you are applying for.

Having been out of the job market for a while, I did research into where the best leads were coming from (not Monster or Careerbuilder). I found that Craigslist and my network, via LinkedIn, consistently had the best opportunities. I was very selective in the position and role I submitted to.

I also religiously read through start-up blogs such as Xconomy and local business newspapers such as MassHighTech for information on recent start-ups and fundings. Once I found interesting opportunities, I would search my LinkedIn network for connections. I would attempt to approach the companies regardless of what was on their careers page, hopefully through a LinkedIn contact. Everyone and their brother can (and will) respond to a job posting, hardly anyone researches potential opportunities.

Speaking of LinkedIn, your profile has to be up to date and complete. That means adding a photo, job responsibilities and maximizing your connections with fellow employees from prior companies.

The last thing I did in preparation was to launch this blog and start a Twitter account in order to express my ideas about my chosen field. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I feel that my blog gives potential employers a more accurate view of my qualifications for a job. To be clear, I would have launched the blog regardless of the job situation, but it was helpful and was a deciding factor with my current employer.

Stay Tuned for Part II

In Part II I’ll talk about how to accept an offer and how to notify your current employer that you are leaving. Stay tuned.