Tip #6: Be in the right place, at the right time
Transform your job search with 20 Job Search Tips in 20 Days
This email is part of a series “20 Job Search Tips in 20 Days”. Every day in December, you’ll receive a job search tip for career changers.
Job Search Tip #6: Be in the right place, at the right time
Back when I worked in tech, I switched jobs about once a year. Mostly, this was because the jobs I took were simply not aligned with my interests and values. One of the most recent jobs I got in 2018 was all about timing! Everything lined up for me to be in the right place, at the right time, for the opportunity to present itself.
Here’s how it happened…
I was ready to call it quits in my job search when I met someone who lived nearby. He was a friend of a friend and we became close, hanging out around the neighborhood. One time, my new friend mentioned his work, which was at a health tech startup. Intrigued, I asked more about his work and he mentioned how the CTO was struggling to manage the large engineering team and build a new app at the same time. That’s when I knew this could be the right opportunity for me!
I asked for an intro to the CTO, and the rest is history. I ended up working at the startup for one year, in which I helped create new apps, create new policies to manage the engineering team and upgrade the product user experience.
I was in the right place, at the right time!
What does this mean for you?
Hiring is ALL about timing. That can mean anything, here are some examples:
Reaching out at a time that a person has a few min to answer a DM
Applying a few hours after the job is posted
Getting into the interview pipeline before the job is closed for new applicants
Applying in June and hearing back in September because the role got put on hold during the summer
As you probably noticed, nothing in the list above is within YOUR control. Being in the right place, at the right time is more about being ready when the right opportunity presents itself than worrying about opportunities that didn’t come together.
Your job is to SHOW UP consistently, so when all the cards aligns, you are present.
Show up consistently
Yes, timing is everything. However, your openness to the right opportunity is even more important. When you show up consistently, you are allowing yourself the chance to meet the right opportunity. Sometimes career opportunities may not look like you imagined them, but they are a stepping stone towards your goals.
Let’s look at an example:
Aiden is a career changer who completed a bootcamp and started his job search back in 2022. When he joined the coaching program in 2023, the first actions he took was to start building relationships with other engineers in tech.
For 5 months he showed up every week:
applying to new jobs
connecting with new people at companies
posting about his experience on Linkedin
In September he applied to a job where he networked to get multiple referrals. No interview though! One month later, he got the interview. The company delayed starting the hiring process due to hiring a new recruiter. In October, he started the interview process and after a few interviews, he got the offer!
By showing up every week by networking and applying, Aiden was present and available when the right opportunity presented itself.
Read the full story here:
To everyone job searching during the holidays… you got this, keep going 🌟
If you missed them, here are 3 previous tips: