Oct 11, 2022
Hey Everyone,
The Never Search Alone volunteer team and I are now producing this regular newsletter (let me know what you think and what’d you like to see us cover here – you can also unsubscribe).
First, come join us this Fri, Oct 14 for our next LinkedIn Live Open House at 4pm ET.(Note: if you don’t want LinkedIn to notify your network when you register, then do this first.)
In the meantime, here’s a key highlight from the very good Sep 30 Job Seeker Open House –
“From deflated to supported”: What is the Value of a Job Search Council?
A current VP of Product job seeker, we’ll call her Sheryl, shared how her Job Search Council (JSC) helped at a critical moment.
Here’s what happened.
She went through many rounds of interviews with a big tech company in Silicon Valley.
Sheryl used the Never Search Alone method, including crafting her own Job Mission with OKRs so she could negotiate for everything she’d need to succeed.
The interviews went well, the Job Mission was a big hit, the company agreed to the budget, resources, and support she asked for – and then made a verbal offer.
The offer was good and she was about to accept it, when they went silent and then withdrew it.
As you can imagine this was devastating.
But the good news is she had a support group already set up who had walked each step of the way with her.
So, the moment she got the bad news, she slacked her Job Search Council and within seconds she received an outpouring of support.
As a result, she went from deflated to supported – and a few days later walked with confidence into interviews at a new company.
That’s what I’m talking about!
That’s the power of never searching alone.
Best,
Phyl
P.S. You can watch “Sheryl” talk about this experience via the recording below – starting at minute 11:00 (click on the image below).
P.P.S. There are highlights, links, and resources below the video clip.
Appendix – More Highlights, Links, and Resources
Are Job Search Councils only for extroverts?
The Open House on Sep 30 also included a healthy conversation about the anxiety of joining a Job Search Council (JSC) and sharing personal information with strangers.
“I’m a real introvert and am very uncomfortable sharing my situation with strangers. So the JSC idea is very anxiety-inducing,” said one LinkedIn participant.
As we explained to him, a Job Search Council is not about networking; it’s a small private support group.
A JSC provides a structure and opportunity to request and receive help every step of the way in the job search, including in how to go out and network if you are an introvert.
For that reason, we find that about half of every JSC is made up of introverts.
Further, and this is surprising to many, it can be easier to share with strangers (or so-called “weak ties”) than with people who know you. I talk about the power of strangers in Chapter 1 of the book and recently new research was published by LinkedIn that reinforces the importance of strangers in the job search.
“Don’t judge a job by its title”: How to Assess Candidate Market Fit?
Another job seeker joined the Open House conversation to share how she’s kicking off her search and assessing her candidate market fit. When assessing fit, you may learn to target roles with different titles than you’ve previously had. For example – moving from a small company (Head of Product) to a large company (IC PM) or switching industries. Take the time to understand the intersection of your wants/experience with the needs and the roles available in the market.
“Your best negotiation asset and an insurance policy” – Why draft a job mission?
The Job Mission with OKRs enable alignment between you and the hiring manager on the role and set you up well to ask for all four legs of the negotiations stool: compensation, budget, resources, and support.
Interestingly, it can also act as an insurance policy.
As I shared from a real story on the call – if you take a new job and three weeks later your boss leaves, you can show your new interim boss what you were hired to do…and keep momentum moving in the right direction, instead of getting derailed – in this way it can be a kind of insurance.
Also, check out the recording to hear answers to …
- Are Job Search Councils for people outside of Product and Engineering? (Yes – we have groups for everyone from students to CEOs and every other possibility).
- What is the Golden Question (Chapter 7 of the book) and how to use it?
- What counterintuitive actions worked in your job search?
- What resources can you share for those transitioning from the military to the corporate world?
Steps You Can Take to Support this Global Community
- Volunteer?
If you are NOT looking, but want to help, then reply to this email. We have a growing volunteer team that is building this “community with a heart” that is a home for all those laid off, let go or looking.
- Join a JSC?
You can sign-up to join a Job Search Council for “Slow Seekers” (people in jobs but looking), “Fast Seekers” (people out of work and looking). or college students looking for their first roles. This whole process is free and volunteer-supported.
- Attend the next Open House on Fri, Oct 14 at 4pm ET?
(Hint: if you are working full-time and don’t want LinkedIn to notify your network that you are attending, then do thiis first).
- Questions you want answered?
What are you struggling with in your search or what challenges are you facing in your search? Reply to this email with your questions and we’ll work to address them in this Friday’s Open House.
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The book
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– Great news: Never Search Alone continues to be #1 in key categories on Amazon *and* the hardcover is finally available for Prime next day delivery.
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The Open Houses on LinkedIn Live
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- As noted above, the next one is Fri, Oct 14
- Previous Open Houses:
- Fri, Sep 30 (verbal offer withdrawn; candidate-market fit, etc.)
- Fri, Sep 16 (Women joining Boards; candidate-market fit, multiple stories and guests)
- Tue, Sep 13 (Launch Party with 9 job seekers sharing stories – CEOs, VPs, ICs, etc.)
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Book Parties
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We’ve had two wonderful book parties in the last week: Manhattan and Boston.
Big thanks to my two hosts – Allison Mnookin and Brent Tworetzky – and all the wonderful guests.
If you want to host a book party at your home, if you provide your home (or office), the food and drink (and it doesn’t have to be much), and invite a group of 30, 50 or more, then I’ll travel to you.
Note: I know lots of people all over the country, so I can add names to your invite list.
If you want to explore this, reply to this newsletter and we’ll talk.
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Job Search Council Orientation?
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– Job Search Council Orientation
Thu, Oct 6 (and bi-weekly after that)
7pm ET
This is for everyone who has signed up to join a Job Search Council or is thinking of doing so.
Register: https://collaborativegain.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkcuChqD4pEtD5Ih242K86zhe3KTME_B2N#/registration
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Podcasts
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– SaaS Scaled
Planned for early November.
– Never Search Alone and Find the Job You Love
LinkedIn Product Management Learning Series (hosted by LinkedIn)
November 18, 2022
12pm ET
Sign-up: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6977411723313958912/
– Future of Retail (recorded and available)
Phyl Terry revolutionizes the executive job search with his new book “Never Search Alone”
– Local Maximum (recorded and available)
Phyl Terry: Never Search Alone
Note: if you are a podcaster, or know a podcaster – then I’d be happy to be on your show to help spread the word.
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Tools of the Never Search Alone community
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- Free job search council placement and support
Volunteers are now donating time to help place job seekers in Job Search Councils. They are also helping to train the job seekers who volunteer to moderate each JSC.
- Free tools and templates
We have free tools and templates vetted and used by many job seekers and volunteers donating time and expertise to constantly update and expand this library.
- LinkedIn support group
We have started a support group on LinkedIn for all job seekers. Volunteers are helping to welcome new members, moderate the community, and promote participation.
- Bi-weekly open houses
We are running bi-weekly open houses to support job seekers and build community and support. Volunteers are helping to program and promote these sessions.
- Monitoring layoffs and reaching out to companies/people
Volunteers are reaching out to companies and individuals who have been laid off — offering our *free* resources and community to help them.
Do you (or someone you know) need help?
Please join this community with a heart that we are building to support people just like you.
And, separately, if you want to help, then reach out.
Together let’s help the millions of job seekers who today (and tomorrow) will need our support to never search alone.
