• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

7 Steps to Make Your Job Search Easier

By
Aneesh Raman
Aneesh Raman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aneesh Raman
Aneesh Raman
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 25, 2016, 10:00 AM ET
Job search written in chalk on a blackboard
Photograph by lucapierro — Getty Images/RooM RF
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Earlier this year, I wrote a piece for Fortune calling on more technology companies to focus on broad social impact and, in doing so, described my recent job search to find a company that was already delivering on that promise.

Well, it turns out, a lot of us are on that search.

Over the past few months, a few dozen people – from recent business school grads to mid-career professionals to family friends – reached out to say they felt a kinship to the cause. And all of them wanted to know the specific steps I took to find my current job.

Using my own experience as a guide, here’s a list that will hopefully help you in your job search.

Step 1: Ask yourself what exactly you want to impact. Impact is a fun word, but it’s also too mushy to inform a job search. If you want an “impact job,” you have to first figure out what exactly you want to impact. Is it the environment or health care or education or urban planning or voter engagement or something specific to your life or your community? For me, for all the reasons I laid out in the Fortune piece, it was unsticking economic mobility in America. Whatever it is for you, it has to be authentic and deep and abiding so you can stay motivated during the ups and downs of the search and eventually the job. Achieving broad social impact in the private sector is hard. The current system isn’t built for it.

Step 2: Talk to a lot of people. I spoke to well over a hundred people during my search, starting with family and friends. That turned out to be enormously helpful because with family and friends, I could think out loud and lay out a vague goal like, “I want to do something related to economic mobility in the tech sector.” Those conversations, and the hard follow-up questions I got as a result, pushed me to narrow my focus.

Step 3: Space, size and role matter. One of the best pieces of advice I got during my job search was to organize my thinking into three buckets – space, size and role – and then figure out what matters most. Space comes from the area you most want to impact, but size and role are more nuanced. For example, if you don’t want to work any nights or weekends, a larger organization with established processes may be a better fit. Conversely, if you’re trying to expand your resume with new skills and a new role, working for a small startup may best align with your goals.

Step 4: Online date. At this point, you’re ready to talk to specific companies about specific roles but you need to actually find those specific companies and specific roles. The best way to start is by going to the websites of all the major venture funds and accelerators. Look through all their portfolio companies. It’ll take you a while, but it’s worth it because, as you react to all those “big idea” mission statements, you’ll get a better sense of what kind of company excites you. By the end, you’ll find out which companies truly resonate with you. Make sure to run a background check on AngelList to see whether they’re at the right stage and have the right job openings given your earlier decisions on space, size and role.

Step 5: Perfect your pitch. At this point, you’ve got a list of companies you’re excited about, but they don’t know about you yet. That’s good because you want to make sure you’ve got your pitch down. Go back to your family and friends, and practice describing how your background fits with what you’re looking for in the next opportunity. Keep practicing until you’ve got a compelling and simple story.

 

Step 6: Ask about revenue. Once you start interviewing at companies, remember that it’s a two-way conversation. With “impact companies,” you can usually tell from meeting with the team whether the mission is genuine. What’s harder to tell is whether the business plan is solid. A simple way to check is to ask if they are making money. If so, how? If not, when and how? “Impact companies” don’t get extra credit from the market for being impact-focused. You need to make sure the company isn’t just doing great things but is building a great business, too.

Step 7: Go with your gut. If you’re looking to join an “impact company,” you are someone who is expecting more out of your job than the size of your paycheck. So at the end of your search, as long as you’ve done your due diligence, go with your gut. The right offer is the one that resonates with you personally and addresses the issue you most want to impact in the world.

– Aneesh Raman is a former presidential speechwriter for the Obama administration and the current VP of Growth at Raise.me.

About the Author
By Aneesh Raman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

A family crisis inspired Bill Ackman to spend $260 million to create a massive brain research institute in Manhattan
InnovationBill Ackman
A family crisis inspired Bill Ackman to spend $260 million to create a massive brain research institute in Manhattan
By Jeff John RobertsJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Kid watching social media
PoliticsSocial Media
France adopts bill to ban kids under 15 from using social media
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Jamie Dimon says insecurity, not ego, is what destroys the careers of top CEOs
C-SuiteJamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon says insecurity, not ego, is what destroys the careers of top CEOs
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Christopher Nolan interacts with fans at Odyssey premier
Arts & EntertainmentHollywood
‘He’s an analog man in a digital AI world’: Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ made back its $250M budget in 3 days without industrywide AI cost cutting
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis
AIEye on AI
A FINRA for AI? The idea from Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is gaining momentum. But is it any good?
By Jeremy KahnJuly 21, 2026
3 hours ago
Two students stand next to each other and look at the papers they are holding.
AIEducation
Study finds AI boosted homework scores 18%—then tanked exam results 20%
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
Economy
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
By Jason MaJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
Economy
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
By Eleanor PringleJuly 21, 2026
10 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.