You’ve already heard – having a positive attitude is important for your job search. We all know it is not easy to keep a cheery disposition when the news around every corner doesn’t look so good. But the disgruntled job seeker is less likely to land a job. Who wants to hire Bitter Bob, Sarcastic Sue or Desperate Derrick?
Susan Strayer reminds us that it isn’t easy to keep your spirits up. She offers “10 tips for handling a job search during a tough time.” Here are her top 5, stay tuned tomorrow for the rest. (Commentary is my own.)
1) Every job search needs a plan.
Identify your goals. You can’t get anywhere until you decide the destination! Stop and evaluate. What characteristics and traits make you special? What are you (or do you hope to be) known for in your field?
2) Planning is key. Seriously.
I tell my clients to set realistic goals. How many people will you contact to request informational meetings? How much time will you spend online? When are you going to set aside time to tweak your resume to target specific employers? Plan your time so you can avoid feeling like you are spinning your wheels and not getting anything done.
3) Be honest with yourself and your family.
Rely on them for support. Susan suggests sharing if you’ve had a bad day and letting your kids or other family members help cheeer you up.
4) Variation
Change up your job search preparation. Use your plan to help vary your day. Don’t spend 8 hours in front of the computer in the row!
5) Quality not quantity
So many people sit and zap out 100 resumes in one day and call it productive. Don’t be that person! Applying for jobs online may be a small part of your plan, but sending the same resume out 100 times is useless. Have you experienced the feeling that your resume is going into a “black hole?” If your strategy is about how many jobs you can apply for and is not focused on how well to apply for them, it probably IS going into a black hole.
Spend your time networking and connecting with people who can share information with you. Connect and share what you know about your industry and offer your expertise. Look for opportunities to grow the circle of people who know you and would be willing to share information about you if an opportunity does come up.
You do control how you approach your hunt…Take the wheel and drive your own career bus! Let me know if you need help!
Stay tuned for 5 more tips tomorrow!
photo by jalalspagues