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The path ahead
Job searching can feel overwhelming. This path organizes the entire job search journey into manageable steps, from knowing your market value before you even start, to bringing impressive work samples to interviews, to confidently negotiating your offer.
Follow this path to maximize your chances of landing the right opportunity at the right compensation level.
Step 1 of 6 · 30 minutes
Step 1: Know Your Target Salary
Calculate fair market compensation for your target role and location.
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DO THIS NOWRequired Checklist
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Coach's Perspective
Use multiple sources (Glassdoor, levels.fyi, PayScale) to triangulate salary ranges. Consider total compensation, not just base salary—sign-on bonuses and stock value matter.
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Coach's Perspective
Test your resume against actual ATS systems using free tools. Remove graphics, unusual fonts, and complex formatting—ATS parsers can't read them. Use keywords from the job description strategically.
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Coach's Perspective
Prepare stories that demonstrate technical depth, leadership, and failure recovery. Practice recording yourself—you'll catch nervous habits and pacing issues that slow you down in live interviews.
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Coach's Perspective
Space your preparation over 2-3 weeks—cramming doesn't work for interview prep. Mock interviews reveal gaps you won't notice studying alone. Ask a peer to be brutally honest in feedback.
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Coach's Perspective
Pick a real company but make the scope realistic—a 2-5 hour project, not a full consulting engagement. Focus on clarity and insights, not polish. Interviewers want to see your thinking, not just a polished output.
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Coach's Perspective
Always negotiate—staying silent costs you money and signals acceptance of the first offer. Get competing offers if possible; it strengthens your position dramatically. Remember: they already want to hire you, so negotiate confidently.