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Other Added - Ten Steps to Planning Your Job Search
What a great title for an article on communication, don't you think? LoBo recorded this song in the 70s about hanging out and traveling around the country in a car, just going wherever and however the spirit moved.That pretty much sums up the free-flowing way most of us communicate. We stay with topics for as long as they interest us, and we move on when they don't. Communicating effectively can be one of your greatest assets when you're running a small business. Ineffective communication, conversely, can be your greatest liability.3 Main Styles of CommunicationThere are three main "voices" or styles of communication: one-under, one-up, and equal.1. One-under communication is a style that is typified by minimizing what you are saying, or putting yourself or your words "one-under" in importance to another person's. The intent here is to focus on the other person in order to gain greater clarity about what he or she is saying. "Seek first to understand than to be heard" is an axiom that would apply here.
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your intervie
Are you tired of the corporate rat race, the office politics, and kissing up to superiors that don’t have half your talent? You don’t have to live like this. You are entitled to make a new start where you can dictate the terms and conditions under which you work. You are entitled to be in charge of your own destiny. You are entitled to be in control of your own work environment. You are entitled to be the boss.How many times have you been passed over for a raise and or a promotion that you knew you were entitled to? How many times have your superiors failed to give you the recognition you deserve? When was the last time your Christmas bonus lived up to your expectations? How long are you going to wait to be properly compensated for your efforts before you decide to start your own business?You don’t have to be frustrated any more. You can start your own business right from the comfort of your home. You can develop your own potential. The opportunity is yours for the taking.Let’s put together a list of what your talents and
1) Be clear about why you are searching for a new job
Do you need to get out of the job you are in right now sooner rather than later? Or is it time to go for the next logical step on your career path – and only the ‘right job’ wil do? If you know what’s driving your job search, it’s easier to keep focused and remember for the sake of what you are choosing to spend some of your freetime on the job search process.
2) Be clear about what you are looking for
Even though you might just want out, preferably yesterday, it is important that you know WHAT it is you are looking for, otherwise you’ll end up doing what’s sometimes referred to as: spraying and praying - sending your CV out to anybody and everybody, and praying that someone will get back to you with the dream job offer. I probably don’t have to tell you that it rarely, if ever actually works that way. Employers like people who are targetted and focused, who know what they want – or at least who look like they know what they want. So define what industry/industries you are interested in, and what types of roles are you interested in/suitable for. And start your search with that as your focus.
Some people may find this limiting, but it doesn’t have to be. A word of caution, whilst starting from a place of figuring what you don’t want is okay, don’t leave it there. Not wanting certain things isn’t a direction, and won’t give you a focus.
3) Know your strengths, skills - and references to the fact
In addition to knowing what you want, the next important thing is to know what it is that you can offer a potential employer. Most people leave this to the interview process, and it might be too late. You’ll also need to know this for your cover letters and any possible conversations you have with recruiters or with people who can introduce you to the right people.
Most of you could probably tell me without much thinking what you’re not good at. I strongly urge you to change mindsets here. For between now and when you get your next job (and preferably after as well) focus on what you are good at, how have you added value to your previous employers, what you enjoy doing. And as important is identifying who you could ask to speak to your strengths when someone asks you for a reference.
4) Get your “tools” sorted out
So you know what you are looking for, and you know what you have to offer. Now is the time to get your ‘tools’ for the job search process ready. Find the latest version of your CV and update it with your most recent jobs. Make sure that your CV focuses on how you have added value to your previous employers not only on what your responsibilities were. For example, instead of saying: ‘responsible for monthly meetings’, write: ‘organised the agenda and effectively ran monthly meetings for department of 14 people resulting in increased communication within the team’ or whatever better describes what you actually did and what the impact of it was to the organisation you were working in.
Some people will be tempted to write a master cover letter at this stage as well. I’d have a trial copy, but resist the temptation of having a standard one you send out. Employers want to know that you are interested in them specifically, so make sure you always always always customise your cover letters.
5) Do your initial research
One part of job searching that most people miss is actually doing the initial research to find out what’s actually out there and where to find the jobs that you are looking for in the industry you are interested in. I’ve read statistics that say 66-75% of jobs in London are not advertised! So how do you find them? By having conversations.
Informational interviews is the ‘fancy’ term for these conversations. Essentially it’s about finding people in the industry who will help answer your questions about the work itself and how most people got about looking for work in that field. It’s also a great way to present what your strengths are, so even though the person you talk to may not have jobs on offer, if (s)he likes what they hear, and a colleague of theirs says they are looking for someone, then your name may get thrown around as a possibility.
This type of networking is invaluable throughout the job searching process, as it helps you to build the contacts you’ll need in the eventual job itself. It also helps to build your knowledge of the field for possible future interviews.
6) Identify what your preferred job searching methods are
In addition to conversations, there are many job searching methods to choose from. Most people stick to the internet, newspaper ads or recruitment agencies. Whilst I know people who have been successful using these methods, they are not always the most effective. It is worthwhile to search in industry magazines and websites, and to talk to people who have contacts in the area. This is a far more likelier way of getting what you are looking for.
“What Colour is Your Parachute” (the job hunter’s ‘bible’) advises that it’s best to choose 2-3 methods that you will primarily use in your job search. This helps you to keep focused, and it helps you not to spread yourself too thin, and yet not put all your hopes in one basket.
7) Define how much time you want to spend on a weekly basis
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your intervie
All opportunities are based on an idea, but not all ideas represent genuine opportunities. Creative thinking refers to the mental attitude of always trying to improve on existing designs, products and services.Always think actively, watching television, reading the newspaper or even taking to friends will supply the mind with a flood of great and useful ideas. Always asking yourself the question: "Is there an idea in this?" will train the creative mind to always be on guard, and the ideas will begin to flow.Another great tip is to record all your ideas its worth it trust me, this will give you a chance to possibly modify ideas and combine them into a new concept. When trying to find a new concept for an advertising idea you really have to think out the box. I often read something of which i know nothing about this is a great way to find ideas and mould them into something which can be used for the task at hand.We as creative individuals often get into a routine of doing things and this is a major factor for us designing or
Some people may find this limiting, but it doesn’t have to be. A word of caution, whilst starting from a place of figuring what you don’t want is okay, don’t leave it there. Not wanting certain things isn’t a direction, and won’t give you a focus.
3) Know your strengths, skills - and references to the fact
In addition to knowing what you want, the next important thing is to know what it is that you can offer a potential employer. Most people leave this to the interview process, and it might be too late. You’ll also need to know this for your cover letters and any possible conversations you have with recruiters or with people who can introduce you to the right people.
Most of you could probably tell me without much thinking what you’re not good at. I strongly urge you to change mindsets here. For between now and when you get your next job (and preferably after as well) focus on what you are good at, how have you added value to your previous employers, what you enjoy doing. And as important is identifying who you could ask to speak to your strengths when someone asks you for a reference.
4) Get your “tools” sorted out
So you know what you are looking for, and you know what you have to offer. Now is the time to get your ‘tools’ for the job search process ready. Find the latest version of your CV and update it with your most recent jobs. Make sure that your CV focuses on how you have added value to your previous employers not only on what your responsibilities were. For example, instead of saying: ‘responsible for monthly meetings’, write: ‘organised the agenda and effectively ran monthly meetings for department of 14 people resulting in increased communication within the team’ or whatever better describes what you actually did and what the impact of it was to the organisation you were working in.
Some people will be tempted to write a master cover letter at this stage as well. I’d have a trial copy, but resist the temptation of having a standard one you send out. Employers want to know that you are interested in them specifically, so make sure you always always always customise your cover letters.
5) Do your initial research
One part of job searching that most people miss is actually doing the initial research to find out what’s actually out there and where to find the jobs that you are looking for in the industry you are interested in. I’ve read statistics that say 66-75% of jobs in London are not advertised! So how do you find them? By having conversations.
Informational interviews is the ‘fancy’ term for these conversations. Essentially it’s about finding people in the industry who will help answer your questions about the work itself and how most people got about looking for work in that field. It’s also a great way to present what your strengths are, so even though the person you talk to may not have jobs on offer, if (s)he likes what they hear, and a colleague of theirs says they are looking for someone, then your name may get thrown around as a possibility.
This type of networking is invaluable throughout the job searching process, as it helps you to build the contacts you’ll need in the eventual job itself. It also helps to build your knowledge of the field for possible future interviews.
6) Identify what your preferred job searching methods are
In addition to conversations, there are many job searching methods to choose from. Most people stick to the internet, newspaper ads or recruitment agencies. Whilst I know people who have been successful using these methods, they are not always the most effective. It is worthwhile to search in industry magazines and websites, and to talk to people who have contacts in the area. This is a far more likelier way of getting what you are looking for.
“What Colour is Your Parachute” (the job hunter’s ‘bible’) advises that it’s best to choose 2-3 methods that you will primarily use in your job search. This helps you to keep focused, and it helps you not to spread yourself too thin, and yet not put all your hopes in one basket.
7) Define how much time you want to spend on a weekly basis
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your intervie
If you want to get into a long and painful conversation, simply ask any promotion agency or Fortune 500 exec about the many pitfalls and hardships or concocting convincing promotion. You hear buzzwords like "consumer-centric camp signs" or "fragmented promotion".What is fragmentation exactly? It's the increase in the amount of available methods for getting your idea to your customers.One of the fundamental hardships faced by any businessman is that promotion has changed and evolved over the last few years.Not limited to one area of promotion, these problems overflow into the electronic media as well and audio and visual media.If fact, you might feel just a bit astonished by all of the various promotion choices. Do a Google search for promotion and you will find options like popups, popovers, RSS, flash video, audio messages and even animated "sales people" programmed to appear right on you website to interact with your customers... at that's only the tip of the iceberg!Well, what about traditional promotion like bil
Some people will be tempted to write a master cover letter at this stage as well. I’d have a trial copy, but resist the temptation of having a standard one you send out. Employers want to know that you are interested in them specifically, so make sure you always always always customise your cover letters.
5) Do your initial research
One part of job searching that most people miss is actually doing the initial research to find out what’s actually out there and where to find the jobs that you are looking for in the industry you are interested in. I’ve read statistics that say 66-75% of jobs in London are not advertised! So how do you find them? By having conversations.
Informational interviews is the ‘fancy’ term for these conversations. Essentially it’s about finding people in the industry who will help answer your questions about the work itself and how most people got about looking for work in that field. It’s also a great way to present what your strengths are, so even though the person you talk to may not have jobs on offer, if (s)he likes what they hear, and a colleague of theirs says they are looking for someone, then your name may get thrown around as a possibility.
This type of networking is invaluable throughout the job searching process, as it helps you to build the contacts you’ll need in the eventual job itself. It also helps to build your knowledge of the field for possible future interviews.
6) Identify what your preferred job searching methods are
In addition to conversations, there are many job searching methods to choose from. Most people stick to the internet, newspaper ads or recruitment agencies. Whilst I know people who have been successful using these methods, they are not always the most effective. It is worthwhile to search in industry magazines and websites, and to talk to people who have contacts in the area. This is a far more likelier way of getting what you are looking for.
“What Colour is Your Parachute” (the job hunter’s ‘bible’) advises that it’s best to choose 2-3 methods that you will primarily use in your job search. This helps you to keep focused, and it helps you not to spread yourself too thin, and yet not put all your hopes in one basket.
7) Define how much time you want to spend on a weekly basis
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your intervie
The Jewelry Repairer needs special training, ability to work on a tedious job for hours and a love for jewelry. He may work in a variety of places and possibly be self-employed.Education Requirements: The repairer should have finished high school where he took classes in chemistry, physics, shop and mechanical drawing. He may have attended a community college or trade school where he took courses in jewelry repair techniques, as well as use and care of tools and machines. He also learned casting, polishing, stone setting and gem identification. His education probably continued in an on-the-job training program.Job Abilities: The jewelry repairer must be able to work on very tedious tasks for long periods of time. He must have good finger dexterity and good hand and eye coordination. He will be working with very expensive metals such as gold, silver and platinum. He will also be working with valuable diamonds and gemstones. The jewelry repairer must have mechanical skills to use the tools of the trade such as saws, files, and dri
This type of networking is invaluable throughout the job searching process, as it helps you to build the contacts you’ll need in the eventual job itself. It also helps to build your knowledge of the field for possible future interviews.
6) Identify what your preferred job searching methods are
In addition to conversations, there are many job searching methods to choose from. Most people stick to the internet, newspaper ads or recruitment agencies. Whilst I know people who have been successful using these methods, they are not always the most effective. It is worthwhile to search in industry magazines and websites, and to talk to people who have contacts in the area. This is a far more likelier way of getting what you are looking for.
“What Colour is Your Parachute” (the job hunter’s ‘bible’) advises that it’s best to choose 2-3 methods that you will primarily use in your job search. This helps you to keep focused, and it helps you not to spread yourself too thin, and yet not put all your hopes in one basket.
7) Define how much time you want to spend on a weekly basis
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your intervie
You get what you pay for does not just apply to shopping. You are paying a price, whether you know it or not, at work and you are getting exactly what you pay for.Step 5 – If in step 4 you were unable to identify any way for you to express your authentic self, determine what the payoff is for working in this job. When we continue to do the same thing over and over - in this case going to work at the same job day after day - and we resist making a change, it is partially because there is a pay off for us to stay. We must be getting something out of the situation or else staying would not be an option. So, think about what you are getting by staying. For some it might be a substantial paycheck and for others it may be a flexible schedule or the perks/benefits they get at work. Pay attention to these and don’t minimize them. They may be great reasons to stay but it is also quite possible that these reasons are not exclusive to this job in this company. Look at the bigger picture. You may be able to duplicate them in a variety of sit
Job searching can easily be a full-time job. Most people talk about ‘finding time’. My experience is that it can’t be found, but it can be ‘made’. I recommend to clients (whether working or job searching full-time) to define how many hours they will spend on job searching per week, and then to put this time in their calendars. One of my clients called it ‘meeting myself for job searching purposes’. My experience is that if it isn’t written up, you won’t take the commitment as seriously, and it’s unlikely to happen.
8) Set yourself goals on a weekly basis
In addition to defining how much time you are going to spend each week and when, I also recommend that you set yourself numerical goals for each week. Because how do you measure job hunting? How do you know when you’re done? It’s a lot more motivating to have goals that we accomplish. Yes, your ultimate goal is to get a job, but that’s not one that you can actually control. You want your goals to be ones that are completely dependent on you doing the work. So set down targets such as: write 5 applications, check out 10 websites, talk to X, Y and Z. This will help you to be so much clearer about what you are doing, and also help you avoid spending hours surfing on the net without much to show for it!
9) Practice your interview techniques
Don’t leave getting ready for interviews for the last minute. Even if it’s downloading a list of ‘most typical interview questions’, reading through them and thinking how you might respond – that’s enough. Begin to feel comfortable about answering any type of questions, as the interview is inevitably in front of you, and that interview is what will land you the job.
10) Let the people who are close to you help you
Most of us feel we have to do things ourselves, and we’re not very good at asking for help. And yet most successful people say that the secret to their success is hard work AND utilising resources (such as people) around them. There are several things that the people around you could do for you. For example, they can support you in general, they can have invaluable contacts you may not know they had, or they can offer an extra pair of eyes to look at the jobs that they might come across that fit what you are looking for.
In summary, it’s tempting to give up on a plan if it doesn’t work, but the people who are most successful stick to their plans, and if they are not working, they don’t dump them, they revise them! So put together a plan, amend it along the way if you have to - but stick to it!
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