• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

  • About
    • Expert Job Search and Social Media Consultant / Speaker
  • Services
    • For Job Seekers
    • For Entrepreneurs
    • Social Media Coaching and Consulting
    • Speaking/Keynotes
  • Resources
    • Sample Resumes
    • Blogroll
    • Quoted In
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Contact

Clarify Expectations for Your Job Search

June 5, 2008 By Miriam Salpeter

Photo by yourpaldave

Growing up, my good friend frequently offered two words of advice that seemed to work for most any situation. The advice? “Clarify expectations.” Think about it – how many problems would be prevented if only the parties had set up specific expectations prior to engaging in whatever caused friction or hurt feelings? Letting everyone know what to expect – upfront – is a great problem-preventing strategy.

So, why am I telling you about my friend? I think his advice works well for job seekers.

Clarifying expectations for your job hunt will solve you countless
problems and needless anxiety.

Clarify how long you expect to search for a job. In the old days, the figure that was tossed around was to expect to search one month for every $10,000 in salary. So, if you are hoping to earn $80,000 – expect an 8-month search.

The fact is, there is no specific data that indicate how long it will take to find a job. Everyone’s situation is unique.

While hiring a resume writer or coach will most likely shorten your search, and focusing your hunt in productive areas (networking) and avoiding time drains (zapping tons of resumes online) will help, there’s no hard data on the subject.

So, you are kind of on your own here. Assuming you need to find a job, the choice factor mostly pertains to holding out for the “right” job. Maybe you have opportunities to take positions for less money than you’d like, or jobs that are not as interesting or challenging, but you want to hold out as long as possible for a job you’d appreciate.

Think about this…What is your time line? What is your financial situation?

How long can you wait before you will need to take a job – any job?

Be clear with yourself – and realistic with your expectations. Most people probably won’t be able to pick up their dream job in a month, but maybe your network is so evolved and your job hunting skills so well trained that you can meet that deadline. Your search will be more productive if you know how long you’ll allow yourself to hunt. You may be less stressed after one or two months if you’ve recognized and clarified the fact that you expect your search to take 6 months or more.

Stay tuned for more tips about how clarifying expectations will help you in your job hunt.

Keppie Careers is here to help you meet your expectations. Do you need a great resume? Tips to get you through the day? Contact us: www.keppiecareers.com

Related Posts:

  • Make the most of the cold weather to job hunt
  • Can a video resume help you get a job? Some say yes
  • Are you looking in the right direction for your career?
  • Are your perfectionist tendencies helping or hurting you?
  • My book!

Filed Under: Career Advice, Self-Assessment, Uncategorized Tagged With: clarify expectations, job hunt, keppie careers, Miriam Salpeter

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Miriam

As the author of seven books and an expert source for CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other media outlets, I offer cutting-edge information on the latest trends to help you – or your business – succeed. Learn more about how I can help you… Let’s get started!

The Smart Business Owner’s Social Media Help Desk

Social Media Help Desk

Services

Be an Insider: Sign Up to Receive Special Offers & Free Gift






Preferred Partner Career Coach

Primary logo stacked

Advice to Grow Your Business

Click here to read more about growing your business.

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Be an Insider: Sign Up to Receive Special Offers & Free Gift






About Keppie Careers

Are you a job seeker or business owner? You’ve come to the right place.!
Click here to find out more.

Contact Us

Have a question or comment?
Click here to Contact Us.

© Copyright 2022 Keppie Careers