Allison reached out to me last week after reading my LinkedIn post about networking.
She wrote:
“I was hoping I could get some insight from you. I work with the government as a senior financial analyst, it’s been challenging getting a management position. Can I get some advice from you?”
I set up a time for us to meet the next day, heard what Allison felt might be at issue and helped her turn around some of her thinking.
She wondered – was she experiencing ageism? Were the roles she applied to really ‘open’(meaning – maybe the hiring team had already identified the candidate they wanted and the hiring process was just for optics).
I quickly debunked a few things and pointed out that perhaps the issues were not what she thought?
I suggested she look at the hiring process through three different lenses: networking, finding a mentor and conducting informational interviews to learn more about the open roles. She liked that idea.
I suggested she 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒔 for a few days instead of 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒋𝒐𝒃𝒔 to determine whether or not she should apply.
“You can’t possibly know all the jobs, companies, industries and positions that exist because they are constantly evolving. Turn off your job seeker brain and begin exploring and researching jobs, companies and industries that might be interesting for you.”
Allison agreed.
I wanted to be sure she walked away with some value from our call. She agreed she had.
Not 15 minutes later, she emailed me back this message.
“Maureen, thank you for your phone call. It meant a lot to me. I have set the ball rolling by reaching out to my ED, pleasantly surprised that he responded that he is happy to work with me.”
Allison had gotten herself a mentor.
Don’t get me wrong. It doesn’t always work out like this, but I’m so glad it did for Allison.
What opportunities might you be missing because you have a blind spot or belief that could benefit from a new perspective?
Related Categories: Career Clarity, Job Search
About The Author
Maureen McCann is an award-winning career coach, master resume writer, and master certified interview, employment, and career strategist whose clients include C-level executives, managers, and professionals in all industries including the Canadian banking, oil and gas, healthcare, IT, and government sectors.