Career & Life Coaching

When you’re looking for a great opportunity – a chance to advance yourself within your field or a chance to find a completely different position over the course of your job search – one thing is certain: when you have goals for your job search, you are going to want to be sure that you are able to achieve them. Unfortunately, there are a number of things that most people do while they are in the midst of a job search that sabotage themselves.

There are a number of things that you can be doing that will sabotage your job search. Fortunately, when you understand what to do and what not to do, you’ll be able to smooth out the process of searching for a job – and, ultimately, land the job that you’ve always wanted to have.

The first thing that you need to do in order to avoid sabotaging your job search is to have an action plan. When you have an action plan for your job search, you’ll find that you are able to know what you’re going to do each day, to know when to send out your resumes and even when the right time is to follow up on those resumes and after interviews.

The next thing that you are going to need to do in order to avoid sabotaging your job search is to recognize that the job market changes over time. If it’s been a long while since you last went through a job search, chances are good that you won’t be familiar with the ways in which many companies take advantage of the online application process or of where you can search online for a job that will be great for you.

Of course, without clear career goals and a career focus, chances are good that you won’t be focusing your job search as well as you otherwise could. Without a clear focus, the chances that you will apply for positions that don’t match your skills or qualifications increase – and that can sabotage your job search. Likewise, you’ll find that when you are not focused on reaching career goals your resume will not perform as well and you will be less prepared for questions that come up during the interview process.

Simply by taking the time to know what types of jobs you want to apply for – which jobs will help you to reach your career goals – you will find that you are likely to have a more successful job search. When you know what you are working to find, you will be in a far better position to be prepared and to find it.

A job search can be frustrating – especially when you find that you are sabotaging yourself every step of the way. By taking the time to get a clear look at the picture, by focusing on your goals and what it is going to take to achieve those goals, you will find that a job search can go smoothly and land you right where you want to be.

Often, when it comes to job loss, it feels as though there is no immediate next step: once your desk is packed up, there’s little to do other than to go through the grieving process. Job loss, just like any loss that you will experience, means going through the process of shock and denial, anger, depression, acceptance and – finally – growth. While you don’t want to stay and wallow in the shock, denial, frustration or sadness that you’ll experience after a job loss, what you will find is that through acceptance and the chance to reflect, you’re in a prime position to grow.

As they say, whenever one thing ends, something new begins. When your employment ends with job loss, you’ll find that the next step is to really explore what’s important to you. After all, if you’ve lost a job, chances are good that it was not a position that was a good match for you. By taking the time to reflect on the position and on yourself, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to move onto the next steps.

After the job loss, you’re going to want to look at a number of different things:

1. Your skills. It’s important to look at your skills after you have experienced a job loss because you will be in a far better position to find a new job that is better suited to your skill set. Everyone has his or her own strengths and skills, after all, and, just because one job wasn’t right for you doesn’t mean that there isn’t a better job out there.

2. Your interests. When you’re getting past a job loss, one of the things that you’ll discover is that you have the opportunity to take a closer look at your interests. Even if the job that you lost had little to do with what you’re passionate about, you’ll find that you have the opportunity to look at those things now and to see what job opportunities are compatible with those interests.

3. Your dreams. If you have always dreamed of owning your own business, one of the options that you will have after a job loss is to use the time to explore your business ideas and to pursue getting the training that you need to turn those dreams into a reality. Likewise, if there is a business field that you have always wanted to be a part of, you’ll discover that a job loss helps to open those doors; it’s all a matter of believing in yourself and making an effort to make changes.

Ultimately, after a job loss, continuing to believe in yourself is one of the most important things that you can do. Part of taking care of yourself after a job loss is talking over your emotions and sense of things while trying to move beyond the job loss; another part is looking at the big picture and determining what your options are.

After a job loss, you will always have options: that’s one of the most important things to remember. Work your way through the grieving process, discover what truly matters to you and, in no time, you’ll see for yourself that an end is only a beginning.

Some people, when they are looking for a new job turn to the sources that they’ve come to think of as reliable. They look at the Help Wanted section of the newspaper, browse through online job search sites that are, in effect, a larger scale Help Wanted section. Others take a different approach. Instead of looking to the traditional ways that people conduct a job search, they turn to the hidden market and look for a job that will fit their personality, a job in which they will be able to make a difference.

What is the hidden market?

Imagine that there were a store where the items you needed were always in stock and there were rarely, if ever, long lines. Now consider the way that the same analogy applies to your job search and you’ll start to develop a sense of what the hidden market is. The hidden market is where many of the jobs that are going to be ideal for you are. The hidden market is also a place where you will have very little competition with others who are going after the same jobs you are; the challenge is that no one can give you directions to the hidden market.

If the hidden market isn’t somewhere that I can just go during my job search but that’s where the great jobs are, what does it mean?

Just because no one can give you clear directions to the hidden market does not mean that it doesn’t exist; the trick to conducting a job search in the hidden market is taking the time to get to know yourself. Look at your interests. Identify your talents. Take a look at both your strengths and your weaknesses. Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to have a sense of what sort of environment you will thrive in – and then your job search can really begin.

What are the advantages of looking for the hidden market?

When you take the time to look inward before actively pursuing your job search, you’ll know what sort of company you want to work for and what type of position you are going to want to hold. Unlike a traditional job search, however, the key to a successful job search on the hidden market will lead you to research the companies where you would like to work, to make phone calls to those who may or may not be doing the hiring and to take a chance on sending your resume even if they are not advertising open positions.

When you take the time to look to the hidden market during your job search, what you are really doing is making a commitment to your personal satisfaction and growth. Rather than simply looking to see what might be out there, you’re taking control and taking the initiative to bring about your own success.

With the right drive and determination, your job search will become something bigger; you won’t just find a job. Instead, when you access the hidden market, you’ll find a path to a rich and fulfilling career.

The new realities of securing employment in today’s changing world require a new belief. Designing and planning your career, and taking a proactive, self-directed approach is the success formula.

The resume is a critical part to your career design. October issue of Recipes for Success we discussed resume writing; “Putting yourself on paper”. This month we will discuss “Ideas on finding a new job”. Finding a new job is not always easy, whether you are an executive or just starting out in your career.

Making the wrong move can cost you time and money. With the stakes so high, before finding or looking for a new job, you should clarify your career path to ensure you are headed in the right direction.

Once you have completed the preliminary work such as identifying your career path, creating a well-constructed resume and detailed cover letter; how do you find your ideal job?

Here are some ideas:

1. Networking

Networking is the most powerful way of finding a job. Many jobs are never advertised because they have gone to someone’s friend or colleague. 62% of hiring managers found word of mouth referrals to be the most effective. Contact people and let them know you are in the job market. Attend professional association events where you can meet as many new people as possible.

2. Internet Jobsites

The internet is a very useful job search tool, but not an effective self-marketing tool. Although you will find job sites (monster.com, careerbuilder.com, workopolis.com, etc.) where you can post your resume, you must update your posting daily. New job hunters post their resume every day, pushing your resume down the list. Surveys have shown only a 4% success rate for being contacted for a job from an Internet posting.

3. Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies serve as intermediaries between worker and applicant to ensure a match between the company’s needs and the applicants’ skills and interests. While this may get you an interview, you are often one of many applicants the agency has recruited for the same position, so you need to be even more prepared to sell yourself.

4. Headhunters (search and selection firms)

Headhunters are also recruiters. The difference, however, is that headhunters are much more specific in their recruitment. Rather than simply finding a pool of the most talented people, they focus on finding candidates who exactly match the qualifications specified by their clients. To this end, headhunters select candidates whether they are in the job market or not. If you are at a senior level in your career, you have probably already received calls from headhunters. As you look at the many paths available to you to attain your ideal position, getting an interview with a headhunter is the least likely to get you closer to your goal.. Headhunters fill many of the world’s most prestigious positions.

5. Cold Calling

Cold calling means initiating an approach to companies; telling them about your skills and interest in working for them. Research shows a 69% success rate – even better than networking! Surveyed job hunters spent 24% of their time making these kinds of cold calls, which yielded 27% of their meetings. In contrast, the 45% of their time spent networking produced only 35% of their meetings*.

Why is cold calling so effective? Because it gives you the opportunity to make contact and penetrate the marketplace before positions are advertised to the general public.

6. Newspaper

Answering ads in local newspaper has a 5% – 24% success rate. The higher the salary, the smaller the chance of finding a job using that method.

Trying to find a job requires the same dedicated time, energy, and effort to succeed as you put into the position you eventually find through your perseverance. Staying focused, and finding ways to deal with rejection (and use the information gained to help move you forward) will help you to be successful.

* As reported by the Five O’Clock Club, a career-counselling network based in New York City.