This busy professional knows he needs to network but simply cannot find the time:
What’s the best way to set goals to measure progress in a career change / job hunt? Or to put it another way, how many outreach efforts (networking encounters, job applications, etc.) are typically necessary in a given week or month to achieve desired results? Of course, the clear answer is “as many as possible.” But that runs up against time constraints created by the demands of an existing job. So, what’s an ideal target for outreach efforts in a week or month to achieve a new position in a new field? I ask with full awareness that—I’m not reaching that desired number yet. – T.D.
If the path to landing a new job were linear (i.e., do steps 1, then 2, then 3, and poof, you get a brand new job) then more people would stick to their job search. Similarly, if people knew in advance exactly how many networking calls were needed, it would probably make those calls more palatable, and therefore more likely to happen. Even more confusing, you can never be sure exactly which networking contacts or channels will pay off so there is additional uncertainty there!
I love T.D.’s question because it captures this uncertainty that stymies many aspiring job seekers: how much should I job search – and take away from my current job and other responsibilities – when I’m not sure of what I’ll get from all my effort? It’s true that you need to find a way to motivate yourself and measure progress given the unpredictability of job search results and timing. You also need to find the right number of outreach efforts for you – something more specific than “as many as possible.” Finally, you’ll need to find a time management strategy that works given whatever else you have going on.
Here are three guidelines to consider as you customize a proactive but sustainable job search strategy that works for you:
Measure progress by quantity
There isn’t a set number of calls (or emails or networking events) that, once completed, will ensure you land the job you want. You might not even do anything proactive and still land a job, if you’re deemed poachable enough by recruiters. Still, you have to do something because, even in the case of a recruiter tapping you unsolicited, you will be more competitive and prepared in the interview process, if you have a network that can help you with researching whatever company and opportunity the recruiter pitches to you.
You do need a network, and you need to build your network and maintain it before you need something . Therefore, you need to be networking consistently and continuously. If you’re starting from zero – i.e., you have not kept in touch with a single person, except in your immediate work area – then progress is any positive number starting as soon as you can, for as long as you can. Progress for a beginning networker is simply measured by quantity. Aim to connect with more and more people and to keep going. Set an appointment on your calendar for every week labelled, “How many outreach efforts have I done this week?” If the number is more than zero, that is progress.
This stage doesn’t require any special time management. You can send one outreach email in a few minutes each day. However, you may need to set a reminder on your calendar to remember to do it. Or you can tie it to some other daily habit – e.g., you do your daily networking outreach as you drink your morning coffee.
Measure progress by quality
Once you have done some networking, then you also want to add a quality factor in measuring progress. If you have been reaching out to people consistently and continuously for one month, then by the end of the month you should have contacted 10 or more people (if you can’t get to 10 people in 30 days, or 1 person every 3 days, then I don’t think that counts as consistent!). Of these 10 people, how many have called you back? How many are relevant to your job search goals? How many seem likely to help you? The answers to these questions are quality measures of your progress.
Similarly, you want to look at your networking approaches or channels. If all your networking has so far been via email and no one has called you back, then you may want to try phone calls or messaging people on social media. If reaching out one-by-one feels too burdensome, switch to attending a Meetup or professional association event and see how that feels.
The ultimate quality measure is to take stock of your efforts every two to four weeks, and see if you are closer to your job search goal or not. I once had a client who really took to the networking and arranged many interesting coffee chats, so the quantity was there. The quality was there, in a way, if we measured quality by his enjoyment of the networking. But his goal was to get a job, not just deepen friendships, and these chats were not leading to additional referrals or outright opportunities, so by the measure that mattered to his goal, the networking was not working and needed to be refined.
From a time management standpoint, keeping the networking going and ensuring that you are driving towards a result does take time and focused attention. Before you launch a job search, block off time on your calendar for when you will do your job search activities (not just networking, but also research and space for interviews as you get them). Enroll your family into your goals so they can pick up slack at home. Arrive early or stay late to work on your job search before your work day starts or when it winds down.
Use a 1, 5 and 10 approach to determine your targets
While I can’t guarantee that any specific amount of effort will yield a specific result, I give this formula as you sketch out targets:
- 1 new contact on average per day. If you bunch your outreach, this means 5 new contacts per week, or 20+ per month.
- 5 leads active at any one time. If your goal is to land a job, you should be talking to at least 5 companies at the same time. You may not be interviewing at each company, though that would be ideal, but you should be interviewing at more than one place at a time, and then at least be connecting to people at other companies, who may be influential enough to get you an interview.
- 10 prospects to research at any one time. When you hear about an interesting opportunity at one company, try to find 10 similar roles or competitors to research and try to network into. When one of my clients was approached by a digital media agency about a rainmaker role he hadn’t considered as a possible next move, I asked him to research other digital media agencies or rainmaker roles. At the very least, knowing what else is out there will make him more competitive for the one lead in play. But more likely, his focused research on similar prospects will yield more live leads. By targeting 10 to research, you give yourself enough volume to get five (or more!) in play.
At this point, you are reaching out to a new connection each day, on average. You are also following up and driving these relationships to referrals or opportunities. You are following up on these opportunities and researching and interviewing. Expect this activity to take several hours per week – I would estimate 10+ hours once you start interviewing. Factor in that a job search can last several months, and you can expect to have looked at dozens of companies, put in 100 hours, and spoken to over 100 contacts before your search is done.
Remember that all this work takes place over time. You don’t have to do your job search all at once . In fact, the best networking isn’t crammed – it’s better to contact someone three times in three months, instead of three times in one day! So just get started, and let the numbers build up slowly.
A version of this post originally appeared in my column for Forbes.com.
