A few years ago, Investors Business Daily published a list of the Top Ten Secrets to Success. Though referring to business success, this list of success factors are so universal that they easily could apply to how you go about looking for a new position. Many professionals have commented that looking for a job is a lot harder than actually doing the job itself. Job searching is a 24/7 proposition which if you are employed makes it all the harder and longer to conduct. Taking the lead from IBDs top ten secrets, here are some job search tips that may be helpful.
1. How you think is everything: always be positive, think success not failure, be aware of a negative environment.
Think of a job search as the process of selling and marketing yourself as a product to the customer-employers. The best way to sell you is to have a passionate belief in the product, namely you, and then prepare, package and promote yourself based on that belief.
A successful job search starts with mental preparation: focusing on a positive outcome, letting go of old workplace grievances and developing a mental and written check-list of your key accomplishments, talents and abilities. Nobody is perfect and we are often harder on ourselves than anyone else would be. Negative thoughts get in the way of positively packaging, promoting and marketing us.
A job seeker who is prepared with positive, solid answers to questions about previous work experience, their qualifications, top of the list strengths and weaknesses makes the best impression.
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals: write down specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
Going job hunting without an action plan and a clear set of goals is like driving cross-country without a map, it can take a lot longer and you might not end up where you had originally intended.
Initially, a good job search entails setting up a plan to reach the goal of a new job at a specific date. The next step is to develop a month by month, week by week schedule of things to do, and people to see. Researching and targeting 10-20 companies, developing a networking list of contacts requires a systematic, well-planned approach. Job search goals are realized when clearly identified and an action plan is developed to achieve them.
3. Take Action: goals are nothing without an action. Don't be afraid to get started, just do it.
Dreams stay unrealized because fear and worry about what could happen keeps many people from moving on from unsatisfying positions and unfulfilling situations.
Career and job search plans have to be acted on to succeed. The fear of the unknown and the ambiguity of the job search process cannot deter us from getting started. When we move on our plans and just do it, the discovery of our own inner courage is the bonus.
4. Never stop Learning: go back to school or read books, get training, acquire skills
The world of work in the 21 st century is akin to Alices predicament in Through the Looking Glass. When in the woods with the White Knight, she found she had to run to stay in the same place and run twice as fast to get anywhere.
The analogy is drawn as to how many women and men today are living their lives: balancing career and personal goals, meeting unrelenting schedules and workplace demands and, finally, trying to outrun career obsolescence.
Staying ahead of new methodologies and technologies with life-long learning/ training and new skill acquisition is now a career survival skill. Demonstrating this to prospective employers in your resume and during an interview gains you credibility as well.
5. Be persistent and work hard: success is a marathon not a sprint, never give up
If we all found the perfect job, applied for it and were hired the first time out the gate, wouldnt life be grand? Word on the street has the typical job search running an average of 3-6 months, nationally, depending on position level and demand for the skill-set. The typical job seeker will mail out countless resumes, get phone screens, 1 st and 2 nd round interviews in multitude, many rejections and even several offers before landing the right position. It is most usually a marathon and only a sprint when you luck out. Perseverance, persistence and determination are essential attributes to job search success.
6. Learn to analyze details: get all the facts, all the input, learn from your mistakes
A typical interview question is Why do you want to work for us? and companies listen carefully for the answer. They are looking for a well thought out reply that shows a real interest in who they are and a demonstrated desire to work for them.
Only significant research on the company and fact-finding on its corporate culture will help avoid many wrong job choices and career mistakes. There is nothing worse than not having all the details, facts and information about a potential employer at the top of mind when having an employment conversation.
The more that you sound credible, knowledgeable during interviews, the more desirable candidate you become.
7. Focus your Time and Money: dont let other people or things distract you
A job search has never been described as fun or easy. Procrastination is the number one problem most people have during their search. It usually manifests as the distraction of our energy, time and money into non-goal directed things or people. Staying focused reduces our job search time and eventually frees us up for lots of fun distractions when employed.
8. Dont be afraid to innovate: be different, following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity
Recruiters probably see hundreds of resumes on a daily basis, all with same the standard comments: a challenging position, good people skills, a team player, well organized, good analytical skills.
It is as if all job seekers read the same book, took the same workshop or used the same software. Those books, workshops, etc are great tools to start with but its essential to able to move beyond textbooks and templates and differentiate you from the competition.
Candidates who stood out, attracted attention and received job offers were not always the best qualified. Rather, they were able to communicate their abilities, talents and skills in writing and in-person in ways that set them apart definitively from the herd of other applicants.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively: no person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others
A recent survey of the job hunters indicated that more than 55% of them found positions through contacts and networking rather than ads, online postings, recruiters and agencies. Effectively communicating your job goals to others enables them to provide you with helpful information.
Motivating others to help you with advice and leads shortens the length of your search and opens doors to opportunities that might otherwise have been closed. Trying to change jobs without a network, both online and off-line, is not only a lonely proposition but also it dilutes your effectiveness.
10. Be honest and dependable: take responsibility, otherwise 1-9 won't matter
We all know it is a remarkably small world when it comes to business and professional circles. Your reputation will precede you or follow you into every interview and contact you make.
Most hiring managers find a way to check unofficial references by calling their contacts, Googling your name, and using linkedin.com for example. Being professional, doing your best wherever you are and not burning any bridges is the foundation upon which you build your job search and your career.
For suggested resources on how to implement these tips in your job search, visit www.careercompany.com , and for more on career building subscribe to www.thecareerzine.com .
Patti Wilson, a well known SF Bay Area career consultant, has coached literally thousands of executives in technology, Internet, consumer products, media and entertainment. She helps professionals build and perfect their personal brands, leverage and optimize their business networks and successfully grow their careers. Her work with companies includes coaching on behavioral interviewing, talent selection and retention, on-boarding, and employment assessments.
Po Bronson called her, “the guru of Silicon Valley career counselors” in his best selling book, What Should I do With My Life? In addition, Patti has been frequently quoted or interviewed by PBS Radio's California Report, National Public Radio's Marketplace, Monster.com, Business 2.0/Fortune Magazine, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, CBS’s Early Show, and USA Today.
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