Shake off the cobwebs and focus your job search
Okay, so it's a new year just around the corner, and you've probably had some holiday time to reflect on your situation. How long have you been looking for a new job? What have you tried? What haven't you tried? Are you bogged down and going through the motions without feeling like you are getting anywhere? Or like you even have a direction anymore?
So, shake off the cobwebs! Take a deep breath and relax... Your job search has probably gotten too complicated. With the plethora of job sites and resume posting sites It's easy to be overwhelmed. Soon you find yourself just reacting... reacting to every job posting that seems even remotely like a job you might be qualified for. And admit it, if you've been in the job search for very long, you're not sending off your resume with very much confidence. You probably don't even expect to get a response, unless it's an automated response that says your resume is being reviewed...
Okay, let's take a timeout. Clear your desk. I mean really clear it off. Move all the stacks and printouts of job postings and checklists and whatever else you've piled up around your primary job search location. Take out a pad of paper and write down no more than three types of positions you would be interested in. No more than three. If you only have one, try and think of two related positions that could lead to the ideal job you are seeking. Now, under each of the three positions list no more than three things that uniquely qualify you for the position. It might be your education, a specific experience you've had, or a project you've managed. Whatever you've got, list it. But only three. Your three best. It's not the candidate with the longest list of qualifications that gets the interview, it's the candidate that has the one or two specific things the employer is looking for that gets the call.
Refocus your job search on two tracks. Specifically target positions that match one of the three you listed, and treat everything else as a general job search. In other words, prepare custom cover letters and give extra attention to posted jobs on your list of three. Write cover letters that detail the qualifications you wrote down, keeping them direct and simple. Speak with confidence and authority. Ask for the interview. Now, for other posted jobs that you might consider, draft a more general cover letter with broader qualifications. You can use this cover letter with little or no modification for all of these jobs or for general distribution.
Approach your job search going forward by categorizing all positions into your two categories. You can respond to ones in the second more general category with little effort or emotional investment by using your general cover letter. Reserve the bulk of your time and energy for positions that hit your list of three. Be more discriminating. You can decide how much time to give opportunities that don't match your list. Save your prime time for the ones that count; this will give you more time for research, networking, and follow up to increase your chances of landing a job you really want.
So, shake off the cobwebs! Take a deep breath and relax... Your job search has probably gotten too complicated. With the plethora of job sites and resume posting sites It's easy to be overwhelmed. Soon you find yourself just reacting... reacting to every job posting that seems even remotely like a job you might be qualified for. And admit it, if you've been in the job search for very long, you're not sending off your resume with very much confidence. You probably don't even expect to get a response, unless it's an automated response that says your resume is being reviewed...
Okay, let's take a timeout. Clear your desk. I mean really clear it off. Move all the stacks and printouts of job postings and checklists and whatever else you've piled up around your primary job search location. Take out a pad of paper and write down no more than three types of positions you would be interested in. No more than three. If you only have one, try and think of two related positions that could lead to the ideal job you are seeking. Now, under each of the three positions list no more than three things that uniquely qualify you for the position. It might be your education, a specific experience you've had, or a project you've managed. Whatever you've got, list it. But only three. Your three best. It's not the candidate with the longest list of qualifications that gets the interview, it's the candidate that has the one or two specific things the employer is looking for that gets the call.
Refocus your job search on two tracks. Specifically target positions that match one of the three you listed, and treat everything else as a general job search. In other words, prepare custom cover letters and give extra attention to posted jobs on your list of three. Write cover letters that detail the qualifications you wrote down, keeping them direct and simple. Speak with confidence and authority. Ask for the interview. Now, for other posted jobs that you might consider, draft a more general cover letter with broader qualifications. You can use this cover letter with little or no modification for all of these jobs or for general distribution.
Approach your job search going forward by categorizing all positions into your two categories. You can respond to ones in the second more general category with little effort or emotional investment by using your general cover letter. Reserve the bulk of your time and energy for positions that hit your list of three. Be more discriminating. You can decide how much time to give opportunities that don't match your list. Save your prime time for the ones that count; this will give you more time for research, networking, and follow up to increase your chances of landing a job you really want.
posted by Steve Ratliff | 4:26 PM
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