Never search alone
I’m excited to recommend a job search movement called Never Search Alone. I have no affiliation with this organization, and I receive no financial benefit from recommending them. Here is why I believe this movement is beneficial for job seekers.
Phyl Terry, a New York-based pioneer and leader in customer success, is the founder of Never Search Alone. Terry’s motivation to create Never Search Alone is to transform job searches from lonely and demoralizing to community-based and empowering.
The Never Search Alone job search method is based on Phyl Terry’s 20 years of coaching experience with 2,000 job and promotion seekers. A key component of the method is a job seeker’s participation in a free volunteer-led Job Search Council. As of late 2025, the number of Job Search Councils hit a milestone of 5,000 Councils launched to help 50,000 job seekers.
In addition to running Job Search Councils, the Never Search Alone process offers free resources like tools and templates, videos, and LinkedIn Live events. Below I describe the method and some components.
Job Search Council - A support group of 4-6 job-seeking peers who agree to search together. The Job Search Council and the resources of the Never Search Alone movement are co-partners in helping a job seeker to choose the most effective ways to network, interview, and evaluate job offers.
Terry observed job searches spark anxiety and fear in almost everyone. He said Job Search Councils act as a kind of private “safety net” for the emotional toll of capitalism, explaining:
While the source of the fear you feel is systemic, the way to address it is local — i.e., create a Job Search Council, which can convert the fear and anxiety you feel into hope, motivation, accountability, and that all-important job search emotion: confidence.
Mnookin Two-Pager (named after Allison Mnookin, a professor at Harvard Business School) - A summary of what you love and hate doing, your “must haves” and “must nots” in your job, your short-term and long-term career goals, and your strengths and weaknesses.
Listening Tour - A method to do market research to identify your Candidate-Market fit. Terry emphasizes that market research should happen before networking or interviewing begins.
The Golden Question - A key question asked in the Listening Tour: If you were in my shoes, how would you approach this job search?
Job Mission with OKRs - Your version of a job description with objectives and key results; used to confirm your understanding of a job matches the hiring manager’s expectations.
To learn more about how the Never Search Alone process can help you, please visit the Never Search Alone website and buy the book. (This is not an affiliate link. I receive no financial benefit from this recommendation.)
I’m seeking a successful job seeker who used the Never Search Alone process and will share their experiences in a case study for Remote-First Coaching. If that’s you, please contact me.
This article was originally published 2024-02-18. It is continually updated.
