Your Next Role: Career Coaching, Dublin

Before you look

What you want more of, and less of. Look back over the last few years and be specific: the work, the people, the pace.
The three things the next role must have. Three, not ten. These are the ones you won't trade away.
What you would say no to. A salary floor, a commute, a kind of culture. Decide now, while nobody is offering you anything.
The 20 minute version. The Values Finder is a quick way to put words to what matters to you before you write a word of your CV.

Your story

The two-line answer to "what are you looking for?" If you can't say it in two lines, nobody can help you find it.
Your CV and LinkedIn are the same story in two formats. Write the story first, then fit each format to it, not the other way round.
The three examples you will use in every interview. Pick three pieces of work that show what you want to be hired for next, and know them well enough to tell each in two minutes.

The search

Your network before the boards. Tell people your two lines, and ask each of them who else you should talk to.
A short list of ten organisations, not a hundred applications. Learn them properly, and find someone inside each one.
A weekly rhythm and a stopping rule. Set the hours you will put in each week, and decide in advance when you will step back and change approach if it is not working.

Interviews and the offer

Prepare the questions you will ask, not only the ones you will answer. Good questions show judgement, and the answers tell you whether you want the job.
Buy a day to think. "Thank you, I'm keen. Can I come back to you by Thursday?" is a normal thing to say to an offer.
Check before you say yes. The role, the manager, the package in writing, and the first year's priorities. Ask anything you would regret not asking.

What not to do

Start with the job boards.
Send the same CV to every role.
Apply for everything that is roughly a fit.
Leave your network until the applications stop working.
Accept on the call before you have seen the offer in writing.

When a conversation helps

The Discovery Session is free: 30 minutes, online, and not a sales call. Tell me where you are and what you think you want next, and we will work out what would help. If a recruiter who knows your market would serve you better, I'll say so.

Book a free Discovery Session

I coach professionals and senior people through this, online and in person in Dublin, including when the next step is a career change.

The Next Move: Landing the next role

Six 60 minute sessions over twelve weeks.

Your story, CV and LinkedIn, interviews and the offer, and a written 90 day plan.

€1,200 for the programme: €200 a session, or two payments of €600.

Questions people ask

How do I work out what job I want next?

Start with what you want more and less of, and the three things the next role must have. Talk to people doing jobs you think you might want, and ask what their week is actually like. The answer usually comes from those conversations, not from scrolling job ads.

Should I update my CV or LinkedIn first?

Neither. Write your two-line story first, then update both from it so they say the same thing. If you only have time for one, do LinkedIn, because that is where people will look you up.

How long does a job search take at a senior level?

Usually longer than at earlier stages, because there are fewer roles and more of them are filled through networks and search firms. It depends on your field and the market, so plan for months rather than weeks. A senior job search moves faster when you know exactly what you are looking for.

Is it better to apply directly or through my network?

Through your network, where you can. A warm introduction gets you read, and often tells you about roles before they are advertised. Apply directly as well for roles that fit closely, and say who you know there if you know someone.

How do I know if I should change career rather than role?

Ask whether you are tired of the job or tired of the work. If it is the organisation, the manager or the pace, a new role may fix it. If it is the work itself, a career change is worth exploring properly, with small tests before a big leap.

Is a career coach worth it if I already know what I want?

Sometimes not. If you know what you want and the market wants it, a sharp CV and your network may be enough. Coaching is worth it when you want a clearer story, better interviews or a better offer, or when the search is taking longer than it should.

How is this different from a recruiter?

A recruiter works for the employer and is paid when they fill a role, so they are looking for a match for a job they already have. I work for you, on what you want and how to get it, whichever job that turns out to be. Good recruiters are worth knowing, and I will often suggest talking to one.

If you skipped it above, the Values Finder is a 20 minute exercise to work out what you actually want before you start applying.

My newsletter, Stuff that MattRs, sends one useful thing a week while you run your search.

Ready for your next role? Work out what it is before you start applying.