Once upon a time, if you were looking for a job, were between jobs, or wanted to change careers, you picked up the classified section of your local newspaper, looked up kind of the job you wanted, found a couple of openings that looked interesting, and mailed your resume and cover letter in response.
That was then. As anyone knows, who hasn't been under a rock for the last 15 years, the job search has changed totally. It's more sophisticated. It's more complex. You need to know more about yourself, about potential employers, about the job market, the economy, and where to look for openings.
Here's another change: You cannot wait to start job hunting until your current job goes away, until you want to kill your boss, or until you're notified of an impending layoff. Job searches take time. Lots of time. And the preparation is enormous.
Some tips for preparing for your job search:
1. The preparation doesn't stop. From now on, every professional will need to be continuously in job search mode. If you stop you lose traction, you lose up-to-the-minute information, you lose contacts. Keep up your professional knowledge and your professional connections; you'll need them, and possibly more quickly than you think.
2. Join and participate actively in professional associations. Mingle, meet new people, listen to the speakers. You'll pick up the vital information you'll need about what's going on in your field with regard to technical updates, economic changes, mergers, potential downsizings and industry gossip.
3. Gain expertise in social media, particularly LinkedIn. 80% to 85% of Fortune 1000 companies now use LinkedIn as their primary source for identifying job candidates. Stop relying solely on company job postings, job aggregators and headhunters. LinkedIn has approximately 90 million members worldwide, using the computer's power to remember connections as no human being can. Use it to connect with others in your field, others with your passions, others who can exchange information with you and help you get noticed.
You're the one you need to rely on...
Paula...You are absolutely correct; the job search never, never ends and one must be constantly prepared. I would add one other item to your list: Catalogue your accomplishments. Keep a running tally of what your successes so that you don't have to try and remember them when it comes time to update your resume. In fact, one place to showcase them would be your LinkedIn profile.
ReplyDelete~ Scott