Job Seekers Network (JSN), a nonprofit in Austin, TX, has helped over 10,000 job seekers find a better fitting job faster. Our program offers a proven multi-step process for job seekers to follow, plus ongoing opportunities for training, guidance and encouragement along the way. At JSN you will find a community of fellow job seekers and caring coaches you can turn to for support whenever you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed. Best of all, most aspects of our program are available for free!
As an active participant at JSN, you’ll have access to a wealth of knowledge to help you find a better fitting job faster. If it has been a while since you tried to find a job, you will soon discover that a lot has changed over the years. We work with coaches, guest speakers, trainers and recruiters who focus on the latest hiring practices used by companies and the best strategies for candidates who want to be seen by them.
JSN has really helped me break the job process down into manageable parts so not to be overwhelmed.
Allison Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
TOP TIP:
Finding a job that fits you is better for your long-term career performance.
Getting Started
Knowing where to start in the job search process will improve efficiency and produce better results. It’s tempting to start by working on your resume or endlessly searching online job boards. However, years of experience at JSN have taught us that you should start by clearly identifying your job target. When you take time to consider your wiring, values, passions and God’s calling for your life, you will find a better fitting job target and waste less time on ineffective tactics.
Note: If you need to find a survival or stepping stone job quickly for more immediate income, you might identify a quick target position and go directly to step 4, but you should then try to work on Steps 1 - 3 while you are working or come back to them as quickly as you can
Ready to find a job? Join our meetings.
JSN is currently holding weekly Monday meetings online via Zoom.
Recommended Steps to Help You Find a Job
Step one: Identify your life calling & the targeted career that fits your design
Understanding who you are, what skills you have and where your passion and interests lie are critical to the job search. Many job seekers make the mistake of searching for the exact job they just left, instead of taking the time to reflect on whether the job gave them a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
At JSN we can work with you to help you understand who you are, what you're good at and what type of jobs would be best suited for your individual make-up. Besides our weekly meetings and one-on-one coaching, we also offer a Design and Focus workshop to assess your "Divine Design" including your personality, interests, values, skills, and gifts. Register Now for this 4 session, team-oriented workshop, currently offered via Zoom.
There’s nothing like a job search to have a person question, “Why am I on this earth? Is there a bigger purpose or grander plan?” The answer is YES!
Meet Dan: Dan has weathered several lay-offs at his former employer, but this time, his job was eliminated due to COVID. He’s been in the same career for the last 19 years and made steady progress in it, but he couldn’t say he loved his job or that it was a good fit for him. Now that he has this break, he’s thinking he should look at some different options, but he has no idea how to find a new job.
JSN’s career direction workshop, Design & Focus, provides Dan with the opportunity to assess his personality, interests, values and past experiences and then explore opportunities that fit with those assessments. Dan has lined up informational meetings with several JSN alumni to better help him understand the new careers he’s considering. He recognizes that making a career transition can be a harder sell to employers, but with his renewed confidence in the value he offers, he is excited to pursue a better fitting career path and to find a job he loves.
In the past, Dan kept his faith and his work as two separate pieces of his life. Through the Living the Called Life workshop, Dan has a clearer understanding that his relationship with God impacts all parts of his life, and that his work life and his spiritual life are intertwined. He wants to learn more about growing deeper in his faith and to view his work as worship to God. Dan is confident in the value he offers employers and is committed to live a life with more purpose and balance.
Attending Design and Focus gave me the confidence in myself and provided me with stories to tell during my interviewing process.
David Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the meetings and inspiring speakers, the break-out job search training groups, Design and Focus, and Living the Called Life. I came feeling ambivalent about my next step and lacking confidence in my abilities. Now I know more about my purpose and calling and am looking forward to my new job I start next week. I can’t thank JSN enough for that feeling of empowerment to be who I am and who I am meant to be!
Monica Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
According to career expert Brian Ray, of those employed, 52 percent are dissatisfied with their jobs and 72 percent are not engaged in their work.
Ready to find out more?
Hundreds of job seekers have participated and call Design & Focus “life changing.” It receives excellent reviews by past participants.
Step Two: Establish support & plan for a productive search
Spending the majority of your time trying to find a job can be stressful and discouraging. When you put a support system in place and develop a plan to follow, you will benefit in many ways from the structure and community around you.
Start each week with JSN’s Monday morning meetings at 9:00 AM. This single step will help you stay motivated, focused and intentional about the week ahead. On Monday mornings, you can get help with your personal brand, resume, elevator pitch, etc. and networking, mock interviews and personalized prayer. Also sign up for our weekly newsletter and check out our workshops for more info.
Don’t underestimate the value of community that you will find as you meet new friends using the JSN approach to finding a job. You can form an accountability group, volunteer together, share prayer requests, practice mock interviews, or just meet for coffee with someone who understands what you’re going through.
It’s really hard to find a new job without emotional and practical support in place.
Meet Maria: Maria is entering the workplace after 15 years of raising a family and getting surprised by her husband’s request for a divorce. She used to work in finance, and JSN’s career direction workshop gives her confidence that is still a good fit, but she has a hard time staying focused. She often wonders why it is so hard to find a job. She has continued meeting with three other ladies from the workshop and that has become her job search running team. They meet at least once a week and support each other through the ups and downs. One of them actually did a mock interview with her.
Maria is practicing self-care through nightly walks with her kids, turning off the news and spending time in prayer. She volunteers at a food pantry every two weeks and that helps put things in perspective. She attends JSN every week and has learned the best way to find a job.
When the JSN staff offered to pray for me at the end of each conversation, I was overwhelmed by the love and support that they have to offer and knew I was in the right place as I was seeking new employment.
Jada Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
You are 8 times more likely to reach your goal sooner if you have a written plan and an accountability partner/group.
See providers that have partnered with JSN
Step 3: Determine your brand & compelling story
When meeting someone new, the subject of “what do you do” always comes up, usually in the first few minutes of a conversation. When you’re in the middle of a job search, you need a concise, compelling answer to this question ready to recite at a moment’s notice.
At JSN we will help you identify your unique value proposition, top three selling assets, greatest relevant achievements, and an answer to why you are in transition. You will combine these important points into elevator pitch and practice delivering it in a way that tells your story and your goals for the future. This becomes your personal brand.
Meet Roberta: Roberta knows just what she is seeking, but she always freezes up when asked about it. JSN helps Roberta to articulate her unique value proposition, top 3 selling assets, greatest relevant achievements, and answer to why she is in transition and to combine all those into an elevator pitch or professional introduction. Elaborating on these points in a way that tells the story of how her past experiences and current situation have prepared her for her future goals is important in interviewing and networking, now and in the future.
Trust the JSN process and take advantage of every option offered at JSN from personal branding and understanding CAR statements to negotiating salary and everything in between. Never miss a meeting and always show up as if you are going to a job interview- and contribute!
Liz Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
People want to help, but they can’t help if you don’t succinctly articulate what you need and what you are seeking.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Step 4: Customize your resume & LinkedIn profile
Resumes and LinkedIn profiles are key tools for your job search, but you must also know current hiring practices and how to match them to your job target. What you did back when you first got out of school may not be very effective in today’s marketplace.
JSN provides resume training through a two-step resume writing and review process. You will get access to videos, speakers, storytelling workshops and templates to complete an eye-catching resume and updated LinkedIn profile. Then a JSN resume coach will review your resume and you can confidently start actively networking.
Meet Mateo: Mateo has 10 years’ experience and needs to know how to create a resume: how far back he should go, how to write a resume summary, what keywords to include on a resume, and what a resume should look like. He loved the project management aspects of his last job and has lots of impact stories, so he’s ready to pivot into that role.
JSN provides him with resume training through videos, speakers, storytelling workshop and templates to complete his eye-catching resume and update his LinkedIn profile. A JSN resume coach reviews his resume which gives him the needed confidence to start actively networking.
People want to help, but they can’t help if you don’t succinctly articulate what you need and what you are seeking.
My awareness of current recruiting and job search strategies was zero. I had not applied for an external job 20 years. My resume was phenomenal ... by 2000 standards ... which is nearly opposite what is required by 2020 standards ... and I was in love with it (emotionally resistant to change)
Christian Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
I got my position by having a great LinkedIn Profile which JSN taught me to do. Also, thanks to the volunteer photographer for the awesome photograph she shot for my LinkedIn profile.
Jamet Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
Having trouble with your resume? We can help!
Step 5: Find targeted employers
Stay focused in your search by identifying employers who match your values and your goals. Start by identifying the top 20 employers in your career area, industry & geographical area. Not all of them will have open positions, but they can still be good targets.
Meet Marcos: Marcos has identified the top 20 employers in his career area, industry & geographical area. Not all of them have open positions, but they are still good targets. Using LinkedIn, he is able to identify the hiring manager or an insider through his connections and does considerable research on each target. He keeps his eye on current events in his area and industry to expand his list for new opportunities.
After I zeroed in on my targeted employers, I mentioned it to several people that I knew, including during a JSN virtual networking call. JSN had contacts with my top organization and helped me make that insider connection I needed to get the job.
Nick Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
Actively connect with employees of your target employers and follow them on LinkedIn to stay in the know.
See companies that are currently hiring.
Step 6: Build & empower your network
One pitfall for many job seekers who are trying to find a job is to limit themselves to viewing job postings online and applying for only those positions. Competition is fierce for online postings, and they will miss out on finding out about “hidden jobs” that may also be available.
We recommend scheduling 10 informational or networking connections a week, mostly by phone. Some of those can be the recruiters or job seekers you meet through JSN. If certain aspects of networking are draining for you, make sure you schedule some alone time between meetings. Spend no more than about 20% of your time setting up Indeed automated searches, checking company websites and completing job applications.
Meet Sally: Sally is an outgoing introvert; parts of networking are really draining for her, so she makes sure to schedule alone time between meetings. She has 10 informational or networking connections a week, mostly by phone. Some of those are the recruiters or job seekers she meets through JSN. 20% of her time is spent setting up Indeed automated searches and checking company websites and completing job applications.
Being in a new city and not having a professional network was frustrating. Lack of networking, and the professional and social isolation were difficult to deal with when you are accustomed to being in a work environment and interacting with colleagues. JSN provided multiple platforms to interact with other professionals. Most importantly, it provided an invaluable support system, professionally, emotionally and spiritually.
Christian D. Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
At least 70% of jobs are filled through networking. Don’t miss out on this important part of your search.
View Austin, TX Networking Groups
Step 7: Ace the interview
You’ve got an interview! Congratulations! Now what? Preparation is key to helping you successfully communicate your value. Be ready for both in-person and virtual interviews with individual hiring managers and panel-style formats.
If you haven’t interviewed for a job lately, you may be intimidated by the process. At JSN, we can help you develop your interviewing strategy. You will practice answering behavioral and other types of common interview questions, as well as telling your impact stories.
At JSN’s Monday morning meetings, you can connect with the recruiters on hand to understand their interview process. By attending our Write Your Way to Your Next Job training, you will learn to craft nine highly-effective job search documents, including networking emails, emails of interest and thank you notes.
You will learn that the best way to find a job is to view every interview as an opportunity to help a company solve a problem or to help them grow. If you’re not a good fit, try to recommend someone you know who would be. Remember, each interview is a learning opportunity and any rejection you encounter is not personal.
Meet Susan: Susan hasn’t interviewed in 12 years, and she is intimidated by the process! JSN helps Susan develop her best practice interviewing strategy, where she practices behavioral and other questions. She’s ready with her impact stories.
She finds great value in connecting with the recruiters at the JSN Monday morning meetings to understand their interview process. She utilizes the networking emails, emails of interests, thank you notes she learned in JSN’s Write Your Way to Your Next Job training. Her networking email to 15 friends brings 1-2 leads. Sally learns at JSN that the best way to find a job is to view every interview as an opportunity to help a company solve a problem or to help them grow. If she isn’t a good fit, then she’ll recommend someone else she knows. She learns how each interview is a learning opportunity and not to take the rejection personally.
Being prepared with several mock interviews paid off with a phone interview, a video interview, and an in-person interview, each with the same hiring manager, but each a different format and process. I felt VERY prepared based on what I learned at JSN.
Elizabeth Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
Do at least one practice interview and prepare your answers to the “tough” questions – the ones you dread them asking you!
Have questions? Take a look at our FAQ.
Step 8: Land a better fitting job fast
It’s exciting to get an offer, but you should be aware of details to carefully navigate at this stage and as you transition into your new role. Through JSN, you will find input on knowing what you’re worth in today's market and how to negotiate the total compensation package.
Once you finalize your better fitting job, don’t forget to share your “good news” with us at JSN on a Monday morning. Stay committed to managing your career going forward, continue to network, and look for ways to help other job seekers in the JSN Network.
Meet Kenny: Kenny knows what he is worth in today's market and how to negotiate the total compensation package. Once he finds a job he loves and things are final, he shares his “good news” at JSN on a Monday morning. Kenny is committed to managing his career going forward, continuing to network, and helping other job seekers in the JSN Network.
By following the negotiating training at JSN, I negotiated a $7,500 signing bonus. Without the training I would have been fearful of putting the offer in jeopardy.
Daniel Former Job Seeker, Austin, TX
Top job seekers know to keep their pipeline filled until they have an offer accepted and in writing.
Ready to find a job? Join our meetings.
JSN is currently holding weekly Monday meetings online via Zoom.
In Conclusion:
Job Seekers Network provides all the training, tools and support to not only help you find a job, but find a job you love. We’ve helped thousands of job seekers in Austin and beyond; let us help you, too!