Tability is a cheatcode for goal-driven teams. Set perfect OKRs with AI, stay focused on the work that matters.
What are Job Search OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
OKRs are quickly gaining popularity as a goal-setting framework. But, it's not always easy to know how to write your goals, especially if it's your first time using OKRs.
We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Job Search to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.
The best tools for writing perfect Job Search OKRs
Here are 2 tools that can help you draft your OKRs in no time.
Tability AI: to generate OKRs based on a prompt
Tability AI allows you to describe your goals in a prompt, and generate a fully editable OKR template in seconds.
- 1. Create a Tability account
- 2. Click on the Generate goals using AI
- 3. Describe your goals in a prompt
- 4. Get your fully editable OKR template
- 5. Publish to start tracking progress and get automated OKR dashboards
Watch the video below to see it in action 👇
Tability Feedback: to improve existing OKRs
You can use Tability's AI feedback to improve your OKRs if you already have existing goals.
- 1. Create your Tability account
- 2. Add your existing OKRs (you can import them from a spreadsheet)
- 3. Click on Generate analysis
- 4. Review the suggestions and decide to accept or dismiss them
- 5. Publish to start tracking progress and get automated OKR dashboards
Tability will scan your OKRs and offer different suggestions to improve them. This can range from a small rewrite of a statement to make it clearer to a complete rewrite of the entire OKR.
Job Search OKRs examples
We've added many examples of Job Search Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to secure employment to considerably escalate financial standing
- ObjectiveSecure employment to considerably escalate financial standing
- KRIdentify and apply to 30 relevant job openings within the first month
- Identify 30 suitable job openings in the desired field
- Tailor CV and cover letter for each job opening
- Submit applications to all identified job openings
- KRObtain a well-remunerated job offer that multiplies current income by 10
- Network intensively within the desired high-paying industry
- Optimize job application materials for high salary jobs
- Update skills through additional certifications or advanced education
- KRSecure at least 5 job interviews within the second month
- Update CV and cover letter to fit targeted job positions
- Apply to at least 20 relevant job postings weekly
- Network with professionals in the chosen field
OKRs to secure a job in product management
- ObjectiveSecure a job in product management
- KRApply to at least 15 product management jobs per week
- Identify 15 product management job postings weekly
- Update resume to highlight product management skills
- Submit applications to these postings
- KRAttend at least 3 relevant networking events to meet potential employers
- Prepare introductions and business cards to network effectively
- Register and plan attendance for these events
- Research and identify relevant networking events within your industry
- KRImprove skills by completing two project management courses
- Research reputable online platforms offering project management courses
- Enroll in two selected project management courses
- Complete coursework and assignments on time
OKRs to secure satisfying employment amidst summer distractions
- ObjectiveSecure satisfying employment amidst summer distractions
- KRNetwork with at least 2 industry professionals daily
- Attend online industry-related workshops or webinars
- Regularly participate in LinkedIn discussions
- Arrange weekly information interviews with industry professionals
- KRCustomize and fine-tune resume for 100% of applications
- Identify job posting requirements and align resume skills accordingly
- Integrate relevant keywords into the resume text
- Review and customize resume layout and design
- KRApply to at least 15 targeted jobs per week
- Update resume and cover letters for each application
- Submit applications and track progress weekly
- Research and identify 15 specific jobs to apply to each week
OKRs to secure a software engineer job in the US
- ObjectiveSecure a software engineer job in the US
- KRComplete ten coding challenges per week to improve technical skills
- Review and tweak solutions for efficiency
- Choose ten different coding challenges each week
- Allocate specific hours daily to practice coding challenges
- KRIncrease LinkedIn networking efforts to reach two new contacts per week in target industry
- Engage in industry-related discussions to improve visibility
- Dedicate 1 hour daily to researching and connecting with industry professionals
- Personalize connection requests to increase acceptance rates
- KRApply to at least five software engineer positions per week
- Submit applications to selected companies each week
- Update and proofread resume for software engineer positions
- Research five potential companies to apply to weekly
Job Search OKR best practices
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins
Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
Save hours with automated OKR dashboards
The rules of OKRs are simple. Quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly, and yearly OKRs should be tracked monthly. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
Spreadsheets are enough to get started. Then, once you need to scale you can use Tability to save time with automated OKR dashboards, data connectors, and actionable insights.
How to get Tability dashboards:
- 1. Create a Tability account
- 2. Use the importers to add your OKRs (works with any spreadsheet or doc)
- 3. Publish your OKR plan
That's it! Tability will instantly get access to 10+ dashboards to monitor progress, visualise trends, and identify risks early.
More Job Search OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
OKRs to increase operational efficiency significantly OKRs to drive stakeholder UX comprehension and increase customer engagement in decision-making OKRs to implement phase one of privilege access management tool replacement OKRs to establish a high-performing social media team OKRs to improve website's SEO performance and user engagement OKRs to enhance safety standards across office cubicles