Whenever I have an opportunity to level up, I take it, especially in my professional life. As a serial job hopper, I am always on the lookout for my next position. However, with job hopping comes job hunting and job hunting can present its fair share of woes, including unrealistically long interview periods and the disappointment that comes with job rejections.
If you're looking for your next best move or just can't seem to find a job, here are some tried and true tips I have used to secure positions throughout my professional journey. Check them out below.
Plan Your Exit
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Job hunting is highly unpredictable. You may find a position immediately or your job search may span months. Instead of just quitting your job, plan your exit. First, make a thorough list of what you'd like to experience in your next position. In this list, be as specific as possible and consider attributes such as work-life balance, level of seniority, and, even, commute time. From there, use platforms such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn to match the attributes on your list to specific job descriptions, establishing a solid but flexible idea of your next position.
Consider a Different Industry
Life and job skills are transferable. Positions in the field of education may seem completely disjointed from jobs in healthcare. However, in both of these industries, recruitment managers place high value on project and product management skills. Don't be afraid to move to another industry. In order to do so, you'll just need to make sure your resume and cover letter focus more on your skillset rather than specific tasks.
Research Companies
Increasingly, job seekers list company culture as a major deciding factor in their decision to join a new team. Rather than waiting for a job to be posted on a popular platform, research and identify any companies that you may want to work for and, from there, regularly check their internal careers page. Companies often post open positions on their own websites before posting them publicly.
Tap into Your Network
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Use your network to your advantage. Don't be too proud to ask supportive friends and family members about job openings at their companies or to candidly share that you're looking for another position. On social media sites, interact with posts about your target industry. Scroll through your friend's list and connect with anyone who may be able to help you.
Join FaceBook groups that feature your particular professional interests and post in the group asking for employment leads. Also, group participants regularly share job listings. On Eventbrite, search for conferences, happy hours, and recruitment events in your industry. With any meetup or job fair, make sure to show up as your best self, spend time mingling with the crowd, and speak openly about your employment needs.
Job hunting can be stressful and even the most experienced candidate can expect to receive some rejection. No matter the challenges, remember that a demanding or lengthy job search does not define you or your success. Find peace in knowing that what is meant for you will not pass you. Happy job hunting!
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
