Find your Dream Job

5 Steps to Making a Fresh Start for Job Search

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your job search then maybe it’s time to change your approach. Number one on the list is getting organized, creating a plan, and setting your plan in motion. One of the keys to success is to set goals that are realistic and tasks that can be reasonably accomplished.

How you approach your job search is driven by many factors:

  • Whether or not you are currently working (or have you lost your job)
  • Level of experience

  • Industry and job function

  • Geographic location

  • Compensation requirements and expectations

Making a fresh start is not that difficult:

Make a Plan – It may sound like overkill but it is not. Having a job search plan will keep you focused and help you achieve your goal more quickly. Speaking of goals, that is a good place to start.

Looking for a new job can be a long and challenging process, but it doesn't have to be.  If you've not had any success in your job search then maybe it's time to change your approach.Click To Tweet
  • What is your goal? Do you want to change industries, cities, or careers? Start with your goal and work backward from there (what needs to be done to achieve your goal?).

  • Who do you know that can help in your search? Make a list of your job search network connections.

  • Where do you want to work? Make a list of the locations/cities where you would like to work.

  • Who do you want to work for? Make a list of the companies where you would like to work.

Research

Using the list of companies you made while making your plan, research the companies where you would like to work. What type of research? If they are a publicly held company, look up their financials (make sure they are a viable company). You can also lookup how employees rate the company (you don’t want to work for a company that no one likes). What about other company rankings (best company to work for, etc.)?

Job Search Strategies That Work

You're Hired! Leveraging Your Network -- Job Search Strategies That Work puts you to work in learning how to use 'best practices' to create a professional network that will increase your success in landing your job. 

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What You Will Need

Okay, you are ready to find your job, but do you have everything you need? Obviously, you will need a crackerjack resume as well as a few different cover letters. What about your interview questions, elevator speech, and a list of your references?

You need to select your resources for each “mode” of search. This includes your network, recruiters, job search sites, and any other leads you may have. You should be selective, but each category should be representative of your search. You will also need to split your time (see the next topic) and spread your search across all of your resources.

Schedule Your Time

Whether you currently have a job or are out of work, job search is very time-consuming. You need to schedule a time to conduct your search and balance against your other time constraints. My rule of thumb is “one per day” as in, one recruiter, one person in your network, one company, and one job search site. If you follow this, you will have contacted or leveraged at least 7 different resources by the end of each week (and they start to add up!).

What's next?

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