The Most Important Step in Your Job Search and Why

By Brad - Thursday 5 Jun 6:24 pm

The most important step in your job search starts with you. Knowing what you want in a job is the first priority. Without a goal in mind your job search will be unfocused and haphazard. While a broad search may get results it may not yield positive results.

Whether you are beginning your first search or your fifteenth the same rule applies. Find out what you want. To do so follow some basic steps:

1. Ask yourself why you are searching. Are you just out of school? Have you recently been laid off? Are you tired of your current position and looking for a change? Do you need more money? Your answer is the first step to deciding what you are looking for in your job search.

2. List your strengths. What do you have to offer an employer? Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have experience in a new field can you afford to start in an entry level position? Do you have other strengths to offer that may outweigh your inexperience? Know what you have to offer.

3. Research your options. If you know you want a job in management or insurance for example – start researching to narrow your job search. Type in the keyword management in a job search engine and watch hundreds of jobs appear. Don’t waste hours sorting through these choices. Choose a more specific keyword search for better results.

4. Know what you don’t want. Knowing what you are not willing to live with is just as important as knowing what you want. Make a list of items you will not compromise – be it “I won’t wear a suit every day” or “I hate cubicles”. Avoid the items on your list so you don’t waste your or the employers’ time.

5. Prioritize what you want. Make a list of what you want in your next job and rank the list.

6. Be patient. Finding the right job for you takes time. By limiting your job search to what you really want it may take longer. It might be quicker to do a broad search and take any position you can get but a job you hate will send you back to another job search fast.

Searching for a job takes time, energy and patience. Make the experience more fun and efficient by taking the first step to decide what you want in a job.

Posted in: Job Search