A job well found

Two months ago I found a job. I’ve been sharing some of my tips and tricks related to job seeking, so I want to share the happy ending of the seeking as well. Here goes.

How long did it take to find a new job?

It took 10 months to find a new job. During that time I was in contact with 18 companies and went to 8 interviews. I also made noise about my skills and availability here in my blog and social media. And most importantly I spent more time with my kids, studied and did a lot of sports!

How did I find a new job?

It was a hidden job, but I can’t take much credit for finding it – the job kind of found me: A small company had urgent need for an employee with similar profile than I had. The owner had asked around her networks, and a mutual acquaintance had recommended to contact me. I met with the owner, we liked what each other had to offer, and one week later the contract was signed. I still can’t believe it!

So where do I work now?

It’s a small Finnish user experience company called Fyyri. It’s been around since 2009, and quietly making success especially in public sector area. And boy am I happy to be back in action: designing user interfaces, doing user- and usability studies and in general making the world a better place with good user experience.

Tips for those who are looking for a new position?

You have heard these same tips before, but I’ll repeat them anyway:

• seek openly
• nework
• stay positive
• enjoy your freetime

Also, take care of your work-life balance while you’re seeking. Be efficient but merciful to yourself. You don’t need to hunt jobs 9-17 every day. Rather, focus on completing e.g. 3 most important job-seeking activities for the day, feel the sense of accomplishment and then spend the rest of the day enjoying life without guilt!

If I can do it, so can you! :-)