Tips for a Successful Job Search

Are you floundering or unable to get started on your job search? Have you gotten off track, or lost your motivation? Whether you’re looking for a new job, transitioning into a new field or looking for your first job… you need to have a well thought-out strategy.

Here are 5 Practical Tips for Conducting an Effective Job Search:

1. Know Yourself:
You can’t conduct a job search until you have searched yourself. How do you envision your worklife? What are the environments in which you shine, the interests that excite you, your innate skills and talents? If you don’t have a clear sense of who you are, your prospective employer won’t either. Once you can define yourself, your strategies will become clear and actionable.

2. Focus and Positioning:
We are in a very niche marketplace today. You cannot be all things to all people. Focus and positioning are crucial. If your job target is wrong, everything else will be wrong. For example, “marketing” is not focused enough. Is it marketing manager, marketing communicaton, product marketing, integrated marketing? The more specific you are the more effective your search will be. Knowing your target means understanding what industry, what function, and what job title you’re searching for.

3. Resume Summary Statement:
Your summary statement is the most important part of your resume. It presents the key points about you and creates focus for your resume. What are the most important points you want to get across? The summary statement sets the theme for your target and objectives. If you’re having difficulty writing a summary statement it might mean you’re having difficulty focusing.

4. Expand Your Job Search Channels:
Commercial job sites such as Monster and Hotjobs have become over-crowded and over-used. While the Internet provides a world of information and multitude of job sites, we often underestimate the traditional sources of search venues. These are: trade publications, industry associations, job fairs, alumni associations and, the most important of all, networking.

5. Diagnose Your Own Ailment:
What is stopping you from getting started? Is it lack of confidence about your skills; gaps in your background? Lack of focus? Fear of rejection? You need to go directly to the problem that you’re having, so you can deal with it. By identifying your barriers, you’re in a better position to work through them.

A job search is a very difficult and demanding process. It’s important to stay focused and motivated… the best way to do this is to know that your job target truly fits your personality and your abilities. Having a clear vision and the right strategy will keep you on track and ultimately result in a more successful job search.

If you need guidance in any phase of this process please feel free to call me.