If you follow me on LinkedIn, you may have seen a number of updates that I am transforming the Jobseeker Basics substack into a book.
The plan always was to write a book in weekly instalments, inspired by what Charles Dickens did with Great Expectations.
There’s a lot of work involved in editing, moving from blog style to something more cohesive.
This substack will always be free and available, but I think there will always be merit in having something you can carry along with you.
Plus, I don’t have any commercial gain from these posts (there aren’t any paid coaching services or products in the background), so a book may go towards paying back my time in writing these.
The plan will be to allocate any proceeds towards further job seeker work - it’s a nice virtuous cycle in this way.
Let me know if there’s anything additional you’d like me to include in the book (check out the archive for everything released to date, which will its basis).
I’ll initially publish on Kindle for £14.99 with a hard copy version available later this year. It’s at the expensive end of such publications, but my goal is to make it the most practical, actionable and effective guide available in the UK.
Self-promotion aside, there’s a point to this post you can apply in your job search.
I often joke that, were I not self-employed, I’d have been sacked time and time again because my work-life blend doesn’t fit an 8-6.
I have the sovereignty and choice to do whatever I want, unbound by an employment contract.
This allows me many hours to write these posts and the book, as well as innovation in what I do for my clients (I don’t just fill vacancies; I improve processes, manage problems, troubleshoot, and solve problems).
This freedom is something available to you in how you look for work.
If the opportunity arises, what holds you back from temporary, freelance, project or fractional work?
Why shouldn’t you stack shelves in the evenings, or as one subscriber said, do construction work while looking for an exec role?
While I wouldn’t advocate applying for jobs outside of your wheelhouse, I’d definitely recommend being open-minded if an unusual and legitimate opportunity is presented to you.
This isn’t just about how you look for work; it’s about your mindset for conversations, especially when networking.
People often have problems to solve that aren’t suitable for a permanent hire - just look at how many service businesses tend to exactly these.
While having a strong pitch is important when someone is buying, when you don’t know if they even are buyers, a more open approach can produce unexpected gains.
Good luck with your search this week.
Regards,
Greg
Are there any insights that you feel would be applicable to the (or parts of) the European market?
I think this could be valuable for more people and am wondering if that's on your mind.