If you are really serious about finding a new job, you need to do more than just blindly send resumes to online job postings. Finding the right employment opportunity is about planning an effective job search strategy.
Don’t Update Your Resume Just Yet
Some people believe that the first step of starting a job search is to update their resume. They pull out their most recent version and add their current place of employment and think that’s all there is to it. Well, not only is there a lot more to it than that, the first step of a job search is NOT updating a resume as this article explains.
Before you spend the time (and perhaps money) to update your resume you should consider what your career plans are. First, ask yourself if you current career is the one you love and want to stay in or are you just blindly hopping from one company to another doing what you know. If you don’t have a real passion for what you do, then now is the time to do something else.
Next, consider whether or not your career has staying power. The truth is that the world of work is changing and careers that once were may never be again. Now is the time to consider whether your career is going to be around for the next 20 years or longer or is it on the way out the door.
Once you know what you really want to do, you can obtain the right education and skills. Then you can update your resume.
Determine How to Support Yourself While You Job Hunt
You can’t be an effective job seeker if you are busy worrying about your financial or personal situation while you look for work. So if you have the opportunity to stay employed while you job search, by all means do it. Otherwise, one of the first things you will need to do is to review your finances.
Begin by looking at what you currently have. Monies owed from a current employer – final paycheck, overtime, vacation time or what-have-you – plus your savings.
Next, consider other available money you might be able to access. Such as investment funds, retirement or 401k (although you should avoid these if you’re not 59 ½ years or older) and outstanding loans owed to you.
Finally consider how you might get additional cash – working part-time or for a friend, consulting, temporary employment, borrowing, selling unwanted items and other methods of bringing in funds.
Online is Not the Only Place to Find a Job
Looking for employment opportunities on Internet job sites is a valid way of conducting a job search. However, don’t limit yourself. There are so many other places that you should be looking. Here is a list of 10 you may or may not be using:
- Co-workers (past and present)
- family members
- neighbors and friends from church, sports, volunteer groups, school
- state employment department
- community-based organizations
- professional associations
- college alumni and placement centers
- social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook among others)
- job fairs and career expos
- career networking groups
You may also want to try employment agencies, temporary placement services and the local newspaper job postings (yes, they still exist).
Establish a Daily Routine and Goal
One of the truisms about searching for a full-time job is that looking for work becomes your full-time job. However, you might burn out quickly if you gather the information for your job search and try to use it all once.
So just like in a regular job, plan what you will accomplish each day. Track what you have done, who you have called, where you have sent your resume. Keep on top of what you are doing. First, because it will help you to see what actions have been successful. Second, you won’t forget and repeat yourself.
Be Prepared to Deal with a Job Offer
The last step in an effective job search strategy is to be prepared for a job offer. Okay, you’re laughing, wondering how tough that could be. But you might be surprised.
One of the most important parts of the job search process is salary negotiation. That means you need to be prepared to ask yourself how much your skills are worth. You ask for too much, you may lose the job. You ask for too little, you undersell yourself.
You might also want to consider if you are applying for jobs that don’t fit your skill set out of panic or whether you’re settling for a lower salary out of desperation. This doesn’t mean you should automatically ask for the moon, flexibility is a fine quality. However, you should consider your salary requirements and be prepared to walk away if it's not a fit or be flexible and take a little less if it's a good overall package.
Planning an effective job search is about more than just sending out resumes blindly. It involves selecting the right career, reviewing your finances, expanding your search options, setting job search goals and preparing for the inevitable offer.
Deborah S. Hildebrand - Deborah S. Hildebrand is a freelance writer & HR consultant with 20+ years in human resources & a Bachelor's degree in Business.
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