Search for Jobs
A lot of us want to get a new job but we don't try hard enough. Job search is a process just like losing weight or running a marathon. Know what you want.
Steps
- Make looking for work a full time job. Devote 40 hours a week to this endeavor. Sometimes it takes luck to find a job, but you have to put yourself into the position to be lucky by putting in the legwork. Remember that "Chance favors the prepared mind" (Louis Pasteur).
- Decide what you don't like about your current job and write it down. Read this list every morning. This will be a key motivator to look for a new job and it will set a criteria of what you want and don't want in your next job.
- Update your resume. Spell check it and have it read by at least 2 or 3 friends. Let them point out errors and fix the resume. Ask them to be constructive.
- Boost your own confidence. Tell yourself getting the right job is a 4 to 6 months process ( it will keep you less frustrated if you don't get a job right away).
- Post your resume on major career websites. See the external links for suggestions. Set up a search agent from these websites.
- Make an application goal. Apply for a minimum number of jobs every day. For instance, you might choose to apply for 6 jobs a day which match your closest interests. If you can't find 6 jobs in your field, find a close match and apply.
- Apply for jobs looking at the minimum requirements. Sometimes employers ask for unrealistic qualifications, however if you apply you might hear from them still as they realize they were asking too much.
- Organize your job search. Look for an online job search organizer and keep all your information in one place. Use the organizer to manage contacts and to plan your follow up activities so you make the most of the time you're investing.
- Network.
- Be Desirable to a Recruiter
Tips
- Don't rely on spell checkers or your own editing alone. Make sure to do the reading manually and through your friends or trusted colleagues. A spell checker will not pick up on word sense, nuances and ill-formed sentences. Your friends will be better at pointing out where more clarity is required.
