by Carla-Krystin Andrade
The New Year brings a flurry of activity in the job market. It's also the time to get your job search into high gear so that you can make the most of these new opportunities. So, dust off your resume and use these four steps to get your job search off to a good start.
Clear Your Workspace
Before you try to tackle your job search, take a quick look around you. Are you surrounded by clutter? Excessive clutter can add to the sense of confusion that often plagues job hunters. So clear enough space to be able to sit and compose your thoughts. If necessary, take yourself out to a clean, quiet spot, such as your local library.
Focus Your Search
If you don't know where you are headed, you can waste a lot of time and energy on unimportant tasks. Or worse, you can end up drifting aimlessly and doing nothing at all. You can prevent this from happening to you by using goals to guide your job search. Now we're not talking about New Year's resolutions that you discard within a month. Goals that are vaguely worded, or overly ambitious, are doomed to failure as soon as you write them. Set a goal for your job search as a whole. Then set smaller goals that you can work on each day of your job search. Make sure that your goals are within your reach by asking yourself if they are:
* Specific and measurable
* Within your power to achieve
* Realistic
* Timely
* Positive
* Gratifying to you.
For example, "Email resumes to 15 companies by the end of the day" is an achievable goal, based on these standards. On the other hand, "Stop blowing interview questions" is not.
Choose a Starting Point
It's natural to feel overwhelmed when you have dozens of tasks to work on. Yet, this can also happen when you're just starting out and aren't certain where to begin. Fight the urge to either admit defeat or tackle all areas at once. Begin by selecting a single area of your job search as a starting point. It's more effective to start with smaller tasks that are stepping stones to larger tasks. Here are some examples:
* Update your resume
* Find new job leads in a single area
* Update and prioritize your list of contacts
* Make a list of interview questions to practice
Get the Ball Rolling
Don't be surprised if you find it hard to get started on job search tasks or keep making excuses to take breaks. Now is the time to focus on taking action -- any action -- rather than on completing a task perfectly. Build your sense of success by completing one daily goal every day. You'll soon find that your motivation increases and your job search gains momentum. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to job search success.
Since 1989, Dr. Carla-Krystin Andrade has helped job hunters in North America, Europe, and Asia win jobs and achieve their career goals through her books and seminars. Her latest books are "How to Win the Job Search Game" and "Kick Start Your Job Search, Now! How to Outperform Your Competition and Win the Job You Want."
The New Year brings a flurry of activity in the job market. It's also the time to get your job search into high gear so that you can make the most of these new opportunities. So, dust off your resume and use these four steps to get your job search off to a good start.
Clear Your Workspace
Before you try to tackle your job search, take a quick look around you. Are you surrounded by clutter? Excessive clutter can add to the sense of confusion that often plagues job hunters. So clear enough space to be able to sit and compose your thoughts. If necessary, take yourself out to a clean, quiet spot, such as your local library.
Focus Your Search
If you don't know where you are headed, you can waste a lot of time and energy on unimportant tasks. Or worse, you can end up drifting aimlessly and doing nothing at all. You can prevent this from happening to you by using goals to guide your job search. Now we're not talking about New Year's resolutions that you discard within a month. Goals that are vaguely worded, or overly ambitious, are doomed to failure as soon as you write them. Set a goal for your job search as a whole. Then set smaller goals that you can work on each day of your job search. Make sure that your goals are within your reach by asking yourself if they are:
* Specific and measurable
* Within your power to achieve
* Realistic
* Timely
* Positive
* Gratifying to you.
For example, "Email resumes to 15 companies by the end of the day" is an achievable goal, based on these standards. On the other hand, "Stop blowing interview questions" is not.
Choose a Starting Point
It's natural to feel overwhelmed when you have dozens of tasks to work on. Yet, this can also happen when you're just starting out and aren't certain where to begin. Fight the urge to either admit defeat or tackle all areas at once. Begin by selecting a single area of your job search as a starting point. It's more effective to start with smaller tasks that are stepping stones to larger tasks. Here are some examples:
* Update your resume
* Find new job leads in a single area
* Update and prioritize your list of contacts
* Make a list of interview questions to practice
Get the Ball Rolling
Don't be surprised if you find it hard to get started on job search tasks or keep making excuses to take breaks. Now is the time to focus on taking action -- any action -- rather than on completing a task perfectly. Build your sense of success by completing one daily goal every day. You'll soon find that your motivation increases and your job search gains momentum. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to job search success.
Since 1989, Dr. Carla-Krystin Andrade has helped job hunters in North America, Europe, and Asia win jobs and achieve their career goals through her books and seminars. Her latest books are "How to Win the Job Search Game" and "Kick Start Your Job Search, Now! How to Outperform Your Competition and Win the Job You Want."
Job Info , Jobs Sources , Career Opportunity
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