APU Careers Careers & Learning

Is Looking for a Job, a Full-Time Job?

By Rowe LeathersLinkedIn-resume-tips
Contributor, Career Services

The answer, quite often, is yes. Or should I say, it will be, if you don’t treat your job search as a project.  As such, prior to jumping in and immediately sending out your resumes and applications, you should develop a plan.

Launching an effective job search takes preparation.  Assess your skills, recognize your areas of expertise, and determine what you are offering to employers.  Honestly review your level of experience and figure out if you are an entry-level or management candidate.  Seek out jobs for which you are suited and qualified, and that will allow you to contribute to the organization.  While keeping within your general area of knowledge and experience, be willing to stretch and take on new challenges.  Many people find this hard to do, mistakenly believing this means applying for position for which they “almost” qualify, or the converse, applying only for jobs with which they are comfortable.  Stretching simply means you stretch into areas that are relevant to your line of work.

Initiate your plan by reviewing your resume. What does your resume say about you? Make sure that your resume has focus and that it speaks to your level of skills, talent and experience.  Does your resume address the requirements of your target job?  If the job requires experience in XYZ, your resume should include your experience in XYZ.  Always make adjustments to your resume for each job.  A one-size-fits-all resume does not exist in the world of effective job search.

Execute your job search by focusing on quality applications, rather than the quantity.  Apply to jobs that match your career.  What good is it to apply for jobs for which you don’t qualify, or even worse, jobs that you really don’t want?

What do I mean by jobs you really don’t want? These are the jobs that you apply for, and secretly, wish you don’t get. These are the jobs that are too far of a commute, that do not pay quite what you would like, or which do not align with your career path.  These are the jobs you apply for just for the sake of applying.

Analyze your strategy. Are you using all the resources available to you? Are you tapping into your network?  Networking may be the best strategy in today’s job market.  It’s not just what you know or who you know, it’s also making sure your network knows.

Networking doesn’t have to be a formal act of meeting new groups. Networking can mean talking with your circle of friends and tapping into their resources. Tapping into your friends’ resources doesn’t mean becoming a burden and making them feel obligated.  It means making them aware that you are job hunting.  You can do this by simply posing a quick question such as, “Do you know anyone who could use an experienced (fill in the blank)? I’m eager to find an opportunity that will allow me to really contribute to something.”

With that simple statement, you have conveyed that you are seeking a new opportunity and that you have a passion for what you do.  A simple statement like that gives people a reason to want to help you.

In addition, complete every application with a thank you note and follow up.  I know people who have received job offers because they followed up.  A “follow up” is the act of circling up and tying up the end of the process.  Once you follow up, there are no more steps for you to take. You have completed the process from your end.

Using this type of approach will allow you to focus your energy into activities that have a high probability of paying off. Instead of putting in 8 hours a day to submit 12 applications to jobs that are near misses, identify 3-4 jobs that speak to your experience and really tailor your resume.  An effective job search can alleviate a lot of the frustration and confusion that comes with job hunting.  Keep a log of each application you submit and each step you take.  By treating each job application as a project and bringing each one to completion, you will have provided yourself with a step-by-step guide and supplied structure to an otherwise chaotic process.

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