How Much Thought Do You Put Into Your Job Search?

I was listening the radio this morning and a caller was complaining that she was having difficulty finding a job; when the morning DJ asked what she’s been doing to find one she replied that she is ‘having no luck’ finding any job leads on Craigslist! I almost spilled my drink hearing that.

While I’m not dismissing that one can’t find job leads or employment on Craigslist, it uncovered a deeper issue that it seems a good majority of job seekers have, and that is not putting much thought into how they will search for their next job. This is a critical step in the process – you can’t go in a good direction if you really don’t know plan. Just as you won’t take a trip without planning the same principle applies when job hunting.

One of the first steps is to take some time to really think and explore exactly what type of job you want: what are the job tasks and responsibilities would you like to do on a daily basis, what skills and talents will you use, will this job meet my needs – remember, you will be spending the majority of your time in this position so wouldn’t you want to take time and be sure it where you want to spend that time.

Other areas to think about include: when do I want to secure a position (reasonable amount of time), what type of company do I want to work for and who hires for my desired position, what salary do I want and what is the average salary paid, do I know my value and worth, is my resume updated, how will I plan my day while searching for a job and what actions will I take. One other important question to reflect on “What am I willing to do?”

Putting more thought into your job search will arm you with the information and resources you need that will lead to your next position. If not, you could wind up in a j-o-b that might bring you frustration and unhappiness. So take charge of your career, take time to reflect on what you and want so you can begin to develop your job search plan.