I left Intel Corporation a year ago today, after nearly 24 years ‘inside’. Was it scary? Hell yes. Was it the right thing to do? Absolutely. Intel was an amazing place to work. I had challenging, visible, impactful roles & worked w/ incredible people. Sometimes, it’s just time to go. I left not having a job, but trusting I would find my next great role. I believed in myself. Turned out to be a good bet.
To all the job seekers struggling to find their next role. Stay the course; keep doing the right things right & reach out to your network. We will help. If you have the gift of time & financial security, take a beat to breathe. Remember, many of you my age have been ‘Full Go’ for the better part of 3 decades & a pause (even for a moment) will bring you clarity beyond that initial scary moment of leaving a company you spent years helping build (big or small). Be intentional about your search & ask those that you trust most, to help you. I did and it worked.
I made 5 phone calls & was met w/ overwhelming optimism. I won’t name them publicly, but they know who they are & how much of an impact they have on my life. Each of them, to a person, asked what they could do to help & if they could connect me w/ 3 other people. For 6 months (in between many ski days) I spoke w/ > 150 people. I was consistently met w/ the same theme: “What can I do to help?" & "I have 3 more connections for you”. The generosity of my network was overwhelming.
I’m not big on advice but several things I found to be ‘best practices’ in my search were:
1. Show up prepared – do your research, it’s your greatest weapon
2. No one ‘owes’ you – they are meeting w/ you because they believe in the person that referred you
3. Take notes, follow up, & keep in touch – people will appreciate that you listened & valued the time spent
4. Keep a spreadsheet for those calls – person, company, date, what you talked about, how you followed up
5. ALWAYS make a request – this is the single best piece of advice I got early on. Yes will be the most common response
6. Respect each person’s time & schedule – remember they're taking time out of their day to help you
7. Say, simply, ‘Thank You’ – 2 words that don’t get used often enough
8. Smile – Smiling is disarming & inviting. A simple smile will get you further than you think.
Trust the process, your network, believe in yourself. I did….. On up days I celebrated by going skiing (more fun w/ my wife) or family time in PDX. On down days – I STILL went skiing, but I called a few close friends on my drive to lean in with. It helped. Family, Friendship, Nature, Sport. My foundation for bridging the gap between amazing roles @ really great companies.
For those of you who've made the same transition – I applaud you. It isn’t easy & you should be proud of yourself. For those of you seeking your next great role, regardless of why you left, believe in yourself & bet on yourself. It WILL happen.
If I can help you – I will. Just ask…. #payitforward