Think Before You Jump into Your Job Search - Hire Imaging

Think Before You Jump into Your Job Search - Hire Imaging Think about self-imposed barriers to the search. For many, the job search seems obvious. You send out your resume and applications; you keep at it until someone says “yes!” Writing a resume is also assumed to be no big deal. I can’t tell you the number of people who have contacted me with the perception that it simply chronicles a career history of work and education. Yet, when I look at many of these folks’ resumes, I know instantly that theirs are not going to serve them well. The resumes are often generalized job descriptions, void of storytelling, metric-showcased successes, or any sense of the candidates’ professional character and reputation. Frequently it is not clear from the resume what the job seeker wants! So while the job search is a process that can be strategized and planned, it’s crucial to take time to think about where that plan might take you. It can make a big difference between an okay job fit and one that makes you want to leap out of bed on Monday morning. It can also considerably shorten your job search timeframe! Think about self-imposed barriers to the search. There are certainly external factors beyond our control that are roadblocks in job search. The most significant barriers, however, are the limits we place on our own thinking. These restrictions keep us stuck in a mindless mode of behavior, repeating mistakes in the hope that simple repetition will triumph. These limitations are powerful in enabling our avoidance of reality. For example, even though most people know that talking to people shortens the job search, they hide behind their computer screens. They tell themselves that only extraverts go out and network, rather than think about networking as a learned skill and behavior. We operate with other sabotaging thoughts. Job seekers for whom the interviews or job offers are not happening prod at and fine-tune their “proof” like someone fiddling with a complex network of computers without any notion of its wires, toggles and controls. They think they need to tweak what they are already doing. They rewrite their resume multiple times, send random communications, and when they continue to get negative results, believe that the market is too tough, too obscure, and too random for any method to work. The irony is that these candidates often only need to change a few small things to change the momentum and results. Think about people as the key to it all. I’m not saying job seeking is easy. It’s work. That said, if you stand back and look at it, it’s about communication, connection, and persuasion. It’s about convincing people you don’t know very well to invest in something uncertain. It’s like winning votes in an election when you’re the unknown candidate. Think about the difference it might make if you decided to think and act differently. Talk to people who have found jobs. Seek out those who were unemployed for a number of months. Ask them how they achieved their final result. Then, as two questions: What activities worked best? What would you do differently next time around? Then really listen. You’ll often hear sentiments like “I realize now I didn’t use my time well at the beginning of my job search” or “I wish I had thought about the importance of talking to people.” People will likely tell you how they jumped into the search still grieving and angry over loss of a job, wearing their wounded egos on their sleeves in their written and articulated communications. They may tell of marketing to targets they were unsure of, with a message that wasn’t fleshed out in their own thinking. They may tell you about time wasted online blasting out resumes to jobs for which they really weren’t qualified. They may speak of regrets in not having a plan at all, and of using a slipshod approach. It’s often easier to avoid thinking about how we do things in job search, just to get it done. The problem is that something with influencing and convincing others at its core takes some time to learn and practice. Effective job search means thinking about how you will use your time most effectively, and recognizing when it’s too early (or too late) for some strategies. It’s all about extracting from the collective thinking (and information) of people who have walked down this road before you. Why would you want to reinvent the wheel? Many folks use the same resume, same interview language, and same method of blasting off resumes at night, then waiting for the phone to ring. They have intermittent flurries of activity, don’t hear the answers they wish to hear, have a pity party, and remember that recipe or woodworking project they wanted to try. Translation: thinking-linked avoidance. Think about â€" yes, networking and relationships. I’m not asking you to shamelessly self-promote or work a room with your business cards. I’m asking you to tweak your thinking to the relationships you have. Renew relationships with people you already know. You’ll find folks who will enlighten, guide, and keep your confidence and hope doses strong. Your priority however, is new relationships with those people out there you haven’t met yet who can help you. A good job search plan is going to expand the scope of people you know. Relationships matter with work and life situations, such as buying, selling, managing, helping. Why shouldn’t they matter for job seeking? It’s not always easy. You have to reach out to, talk to, and listen to people. But it’s very doable and very necessary. Think before you plan. Take one very important step before committing to your job search plan. Think about and decide that you are not going to be locked into passive behavior. Instead, decide to take an active role in your future, opening doors as well as enabling others to open them for you. And keep asking questions! You’re more likely to take a step forward chatting with someone at the soccer game than by spending all day on job boards. This is important. Passive is not isolated to doing nothing. It’s also about putting most of your search time into things that don’t work very well! The activity is easy and feels safe. Though laborious, filling out applications online is relatively easy â€" easier than talking to people for many folks. The gist is that a plan should really be a plan. It’s not a vague sense of how you’re going forward. I’d love to hear your insights on what you’ve learned in job search to share with others!