Most people have never been taught the “how to” in finding a job, although research shows that the average worker only spends four years in a job (even less for newly transitioning military-to-civilian workers) — and will have as many as twelve to fifteen jobs over the course of their career.
Because you only need one company to hire you, don’t focus your efforts on making dozens or hundreds of contacts with prospective employers, be selective!
Here are ten suggested tips to help you find your new job faster.
- Set aside a distraction-free workspace for conducting your job search.
- Start with the end in mind. Take the time to think about what kind of job you’re targeting. What job title, functional roles, company or industry are you interested in?
- Once you have decided on your job target, take time to organize and outline a search strategy and then use your plan to create a weekly list of activities.
- Stick to your search plan, but if an interview or networking opportunity comes up, rearrange your schedule to fit it in!
- Devote sufficient time to your job search. If you are not currently working, commit yourself to a minimum of 40 hours per week devoted to your search campaign. If you are currently working, devote 15-20 hours per week at a minimum.
- Recognize that your motivation is going to increase and decrease, depending on the success (or lack of success) you are having in reaching your job search goal. Reward yourself for effort, not for results.
- Join a job club or check out services offered by your city, county, or state employment office. Contact your university alumni association.
- Recruit one person to support, encourage, and motivate you in your job search. This can be a friend, another job seeker, or a career coach/counselor. (Choose someone who can be objective with you — and critical of your efforts — when they need to be.)
- It is often easier to get a job if you have a job (even if the job isn’t related to the job you want). Consider taking a part-time job or class can help you fill in unemployment gaps.
- If you are having difficulty finding a job in your area, consider relocation. If you live in an area with high unemployment — especially in your industry — consider whether moving to another city, state, or region would improve your chances of getting hired.
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Your résumé’s carefully placed keywords have successfully navigated it through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) screening. Now, it has found its way into the hands of a Human Resources Professional.
