You need a project
More from Eric Koester's "Super Mentors"
As a hardcore introvert, I’ve always struggled with networking.
Putting yourself out there is hard.
And asking strangers for help or information interviews, introducing yourself at networking events, hitting up people on LinkedIn - it’s all a mountain to climb.
Turns out I was looking at it all wrong.
I needed a project.
One of the biggest lessons from Eric Koester’s book “Super Mentors” (see my interview with Eric last week) was the idea of creating a project in your field. Then you can ask people for help collaborating on that project.
Simply put, projects give the people you want to connect with a reason to help you.
Eric lists three criteria for choosing a project:
It’s something you care about. It’s related to your field and where you want to be.
It’s finite. Making it something you can finish gives it structure.
It’s not about money. You’re not asking for investors.
Collaboration is a crucial part of this idea. You’re reaching out for help with your project, not just to get generic advice or to fish for job prospects. So the project needs to be focused on what other people can contribute.
When I interviewed Eric, he pointed out that my email to him asking him to do an interview about his book for Mighty Forces was a prime example of this project mindset.
It was a small, doable ask, based on my project and our shared focus.
My project
When I left my last job without a new job lined up, I was looking for any support I could find. I tried reading books that promised to give advice to people over 50 who were job hunting. Every single book was just like every other job hunting book, the same well-worn advice with “Over 50” slapped on the title.
I couldn’t find a single one worth reading - or recommending.
So I decided to write my own book. I wanted a project to keep myself writing until I could get hired again. And I started the newsletter you’re reading to workshop content for the book and build a community of older job seekers.
I’ve learned a lot, not the least of which that I could still write after my stroke.
And here we are! I hope you are getting value from this project of mine. And I hope it inspires you to find your own project.
For more detail on using projects in your job search, I recommend you read Eric’s book “Super Mentors.” But here are some ideas to get you started thinking about projects you could use to further your job search:
Podcasts
Newsletters (like this one)
Article series
Courses
Conferences
Video series
As Eric put it, projects make you recommendable. They display your skills in an active, collaborative way, and that’s magic for your job search.
“Ask for a job, and you’ll get advice. Ask for advice, and you’ll get a job.”
-Eric Koester
See you next week.