Looking For a Job is a Full-Time Job!
Yes, you've heard it before. Looking for a job is a full-time job. Well, it is true. Have you also heard that you should expect to take you one month for every $10,000 of salary that you expect? That means that if you are looking for a job that pays $60,000 a year, you should expect to be looking for six months. Six months!!!
Do I have your attention? Good.
Looking for work, especially career positions is like trying to make a sale on long lead time sale. What I mean by that is that if you are selling expensive software, you may need to call on many customers for 6 to 12 months before they finally buy. Well, looking for a job is similar. In sales, you keep the pipeline full of prospects so that you can keep closing on sales throughout the year. You have to do something similar in your job search.
As you start your job search, you begin by answering ads on job boards like monster.com. You submit your resume and connect with hiring companies and recruiters, making aware that you are in the market for a new job.
You may be lucky and get a hit quickly, or you may answer dozens of ads before anyone calls you back.
Next, make sure if you are unemployed that you get up every morning like when you were working. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and start working on getting a job. Create routine. Make sure you work the job boards, then return your phone calls, do you follow-up emails and work your network. The order doesn't matter, just create a routine. Don't sit around in your jammies, watching Jerry Springer until noon.
Understand that finding a decent paying job in a tough economy is hard work. Get a plan and work your plan.
Hope this helps.
Email me your questions and read my blog.
M.E. Edwards is a career coach, author, speaker entrepreneur and expert on career development at all levels. You can read his musings here, or take a more extensive look at his blog at http://www.directyourcareer.com/ Or you can email him at just_mike70@yahoo.com
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