[[Phyl Terry]] [[lit/kindle/Never Search Alone|Highlights]] Never Search Alone distinguishes itself with its *Job Search Councils*. These turn your job search into a group project by linking you with a handful of other job seekers who can provide a sounding board and morale support. Importantly, these are typically individuals looking for different roles than you to avoid the potential for competition. These groups give you access to the strength of weak ties through your JSC members' networks. The process itself is what I would call a double-diamond approach. You're working up to drafting a Candidate-Market Fit--a one sentence statement of the type of role in which you will be happy and successful. Start by drafting a Mookin 2-pager that helps you articulate what you want and don't want. Write letters to people in your career to whom you are grateful (do not send them). You'll reach out to some of these people next. Conduct user research on yourself with what Phyl Terry calls the Listening Tour. - Have exit interviews with past colleagues. At the end, share your Mnookin pager and ask for feedback. - Find 3-5 people you know and 1-2 additional people to ask the Golden Question: "If you were in my shoes, how would you approach the job search?". Give them sufficient context if needed. At the end, share your Mnookin 2-pager and ask for feedback. - Talk to recruiters, asking what roles you could get tomorrow easily, would be possible but a stretch, an would be out of your league. - At the end of every conversation, ask for introductions to other people you can talk to. Plan to follow up with these contacts at least quarterly to share updates. Now you're ready to draft your Candidate-Market Fit. Be realistic; you may not qualify for your dream role yet, find a fit that will get you there. Be specific but keep it short. Use your Mnookin 2-pager. Update your resume and LinkedIn to be consistent with this statement. Only after doing this work--preferably with a JSC--are you ready to start networking. Having asked everyone during your listening tour "who else should I talk to", you should already have a good list of contacts to start from. Terry basically punts on this and points to Karen Wicke's book *Take the Work out of Networking*.