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copyright (c) 2003 by Kevin Donlin.
Would you drive to the airport without knowing your final destination,
and
buy a plane ticket to any old city? Of course not.
Yet,
a large number of job hunters start their search with no clear
destination in mind. They're looking for any old job. Does that make
sense?
Of course not.
Why
not start 2004 off right, with a clear vision for your job search?
Here
are 5 tips to help you do that and find the right position faster.
1) Begin with the end in mind.
What's your vision of the perfect job? Think of the skills, hours,
environment and the pay you want. A good way to get clear on this
is to
define your ideal job in rich detail.
According
to Don R. Monteith, author of "How To Get Your Dream Job,"
(www.howtogetyourdreamjob.com) "All of your senses will help
you focus your
mind on the job you seek. Write down what your dream job looks, feels,
sounds and even smells like."
Before
you dismiss this as too "new age" to work, know that all
top
athletes follow a similar process when they visualize the goals they
train
for years to achieve. The clearer your target, the easier it is to
hit.
2) Gauge the demand.
Before starting your search in earnest, make sure employers are hiring
for
that job you want. After all, the best resume in the world won't get
you
hired as an elevator operator or stevedore.
Use
the internet to see how many openings there are for your target job.
Tip: you can uncover more jobs by experimenting with your search terms.
Example:
a search at Monster.com for "client service Minnesota" brought
back 78 job listings, while "customer service Minnesota"
returned 224
matches. So, to find and apply for the maximum number of jobs, be
open to
all possible interpretations of your skills, experience and job titles.
3) Determine to meet the right hiring authority.
Always remember that you will be hired by a person, not a computer.
And the
more people you meet and impress, the shorter your job search will
be.
Today,
jot down the names of 5 people who could hire you or help you get
hired. These hiring authorities might include a recruiter, a district
manager at your target company, an office manager you know who could
recommend you to her boss, etc.
Then,
determine to call those 5 people this week to ask for a meeting to
discuss their needs and how you can fill them. Because, when it comes
to
producing job leads, one in-person meeting can be worth 100 emails
or 20
phone calls.
4) Plan your course of action.
It's been estimated that one minute of planning can save 20 minutes
of
doing. So it's important to schedule your job search tasks 1, 7 and
30 days
in advance.
Writing
down your job search plan forces you to think clearly. It may even
generate new ideas and directions. Tip: write out the steps you need
to
take to get from where you are (unemployed or in the wrong job) to
where
you want to be (doing your ideal job).
Examples:
write down the number of resumes you plan to send out, networking
phone calls to make, face-to-face meetings to set up, and follow-up
letters
to send.
5) Take action and correct course as you go.
Now that you have a vision -- your ideal job -- and a written plan
as a
guide, you can proceed like Christopher Columbus, who, even though
he
sailed uncharted waters, knew his destination would eventually come
into view.
All
successful ship's captains check their position regularly and make
corrections. You should, too. At least once each week, ask yourself
these 3
questions about your job search:
* What's working? (Do more of it)
* What's not? (Change it or stop it)
* What's next? (Plan your next week's job search tasks)
Here's
hoping these 5 tips will help you create -- and achieve -- a job
search vision that brings all the best to you and your family in 2004.
Now, go out and make your own luck!
Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit Resume and Cover Letter Secrets
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