Life on the Narrow Path - Finding your Map, Coach and Path

This is the 2nd blog in the job search series that follows the principles found in Clark Burbidge's short book on Life on the Narrow Path from a mountain biker's perspective.  The first blog was about finding your value and passion.  I feel this is the first thing all job searchers need to get started.  If you have mastered this step it's time to move forward.

Finding your map (GPS reading of where you currently are) so you can then discover where you want to be is critical in your journey.  Whether this is a new path or one already traveled at a different time and season, it is important to prepare for the journey. The job searcher's map tells us various things:

• What is the current hiring environment in your area for someone with your skills and abilities>
• Who are your potential hiring managers in your desired locale?
• What are the companies or industries you need to pursue?
• Who are the people who can help you get introduced to these people or companies?

LinkedIn has more than 100 million participants with profile positions and companies which can expedite your search.  It's like the professional GPS with many applications not only of people, jobs, and business intelligence, but it also provides information about those people to prepare you for your interviews.

LinkedIn doesn't tell you who's hiring, whether the company is growing, or whether the connections will be willing to work with you without better introductions, but it does provide a great map of where your journey might take you.  Be familiar with the map and it's components.  Take a class or read my other networking tips using LinkedIn contained within my blog.  Advanced people search by your next hiring manager and search for these people in your groups is a key mapping principle.  Another slower way is to ask your friends and neighbors or business contacts who they know in a particular industry that maybe they can introduce you to.

Finding your coach or mentor is critical in mountain biking for the beginner or newby on a new ride just as it is in starting up a new business or job search adventure.  The coach helps you in your conditioning, in the bike performance and acquainting you on the mountain path/trip you're planning.  Unlike the biking coach, the job coach may not have to be from your industry or even someone in job search.  He/she should be available to go over your weekly goals and your accomplishments; go over your strategies and determine whether they have been successful, and then be there to not only be your cheerleader when you've been successful but also make suggestions where you might need to make corrective action.  Your coach should not be a spouse or significant other, because you need someone who will hold your feet to the fire.  Making a chart of activities and successes might help you in your goal attainments plus help you report you progress.

Finding your Path  is different than making and following your map both in biking and job search.  The map will tell you your routes, distances and other concerns while the path is more precise.  It tells you at the time you're on the trip  how to avoid obstacles and other conditions that you will encounter.  You cannot map the falling branch, the unexpected biker, animal or rut in the path but your trip must anticipate this and correct your direction accordingly.  Likewise, your original (map) list of people and companies you're pursuing might change during your search and networking interviews.  Always be on the lookout to change direction when the path so directs this.  I compare the map in my other blogs to searching for your dream job, while the path may lead you to and opportunity that might be as good but not anticipated.  In your mapping, allow for course correction. Generally you will be hired not by those who are your primary contacts on LinkedIn but by their contacts.  So develop those networking partnerships that allow you to find your path.