Almost three months ago, I put in my two weeks notice. After being unhappy for so many months, it felt like a huge relief.But it was also quite terrifying. Because I wasnt moving onto another gig yetnot technically, anyway.Id applied to two opportunities within the month prior and had gone to a couple interviews, but nothing was written in stone yet.Nothing was even written in sand. There were no offers of any kind, but Id made my choice: I was leaving no matter what. If neither worked out for whatever reason, my plan was to freelance fulltime (gulp).So, eight weeks ago, I sent my last email, attended a see ya later happy hour for myself, and closed my work laptop for good. I had no traditional 9-to-5 back-up plan, but there wasnt an ounce of me that doubted my decision (OK maybe there was a smidgeon of apprehension.) I figured out how to buy insurance on my own, assured my parents I knew what I was doing, and was ready to tackle funemployment head on.Flash forward to today, and Im two weeks into a new job. I knowit was faster than I was expecting, too. One of the positions Id applied to prior to making my departurethe one I had a good gut feeling about, the one I actually wantedbrought me on campus for an eight-hour in-person interview. Yes eight hours. And I suppose I did pretty well. Four days later, they offered me the role.But even though performing that day was the final stepthe icing and the cherry on top of the cakethats not the only thing I owe this job to. If anything, I probably mostly owe it to what I did before I even hit Submit on my application. Before I even touched up my resume or constructed my cover letter.SEE ALSO:An entrepreneur who now earns 6 figures shares the career advice he wishes he'd had in his pizza delivery daysDON'T MISS:Saying 2 words most of us overlook can save your tired relationship1. I scrolled through my LinkedIn feed (and my email history)OKI must admit: Sometimes I visit my LinkedIn feed just as much as Facebook or Instagram. Im not sure if that classifies me as a career nerd or a social media addict (or both). But despite my slightly unhealthy fixation with these apps, it ended up paying off.Because one time, as I was getting all the details on what executives had been poached from my first-ever company, I just happened to see a job posting pop up. I was interested immediately. Id wanted to work in the university setting for a while, and now I found an opportunity that was not only in higher education, but also aligned with my mission of making the world (or at least some of it) a healthier place.After scanning the description for a little, I suddenly thought, Hold on a secondhow do I even know the person who listed this' After all, Im fairly picky about whose connections I accept (hint: If you want to connect with me, you better tell me why!).I did a quick search in my Gmail and aha! About three years ago, a mutual friend gave her my contact info, and shed reached out requesting information about my company (at the time) and possible positions there. And thankfully I took the time to answer thoroughly.2. I reached out to the person whod posted the jobBecause wed communicated before, I felt comfortable trying to connect with her about the position. Had I not responded years earlier, Im not sure I would have. Because if I didnt have the courtesy to answer her, why would I think shed do a favor for me'By the end of that very same day, shed responded. And, fortunately for me, she was more than happy to chat.3. I asked her a very frank questionBecause she wanted the hiring process to move as quickly as possible, we opted for chatting on the phone two days later rather than waiting for a time we could both meet in person. On the call, I asked for more details about the role and what she was looking for, as well as briefly explaining why the position was of interest to me.And then, I did something pretty bold. Well, for me at least. Because I didnt feel I had sufficient experience to fulfill one of the requirements, I wasnt entirely sure I was qualified. And because of that, I wasnt 100% sure I should apply. So, I said something along the lines of, OKjust to level with you here, Im not sure I have enough familiarity in that specific area. Do you still think I should apply'And she said yes. So, I did.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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