Job Seeking: Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!

 Even during these tough times of unemployment there comes a time in every job seeker’s life when he or she needs to make a decision with regard to his or her next career move.  Job seekers, like everyone else, are forced to make difficult decisions without much time to think about them.  The question then becomes, “What enduring principles can they rely upon to make choices that reflect their personal regard to openness, integrity and authenticity?”

Decision Traps:

Making the right decisions are critical. Those who fall into the category of may find difficulty in moving in one direction over another confidently.  Quite often there appears to be a direct correlation between their perceived risk and reward; the higher the stakes, the more likely job seekers are to get stuck.   It may be difficult to conceive of the idea that job seekers will be put on the position of having to make a choice between what appears to be opportunities, but it will happen, and a choice will have to be made, nonetheless.

Before making any important decisions, consider the following:

• Are you, as the job seeker, sure that the information you have received is accurate?
• Are you, as the job seeker, giving a disproportionate amount of weight to the information you have received?
• Have you, as the job seeker, performed a SWOT [Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats] analysis on the choices that need to be made?
• Have you factored both the best-case and worst-case scenario into your decision making process? 
• Can you, as the job seeker, ‘afford’ [mentally and financially] to maintain the status quo?
• Can you, as the job seeker, successfully ‘defend’ the decision you have made you by vetting it via a trusted friend?
• Do you, as the job seeker, find that new information continuously validates your existing point of view?

10 Principles to live by:

1. The only constant in life is change
2. Always challenge the status quo
3. The journey towards success is unrelenting but ultimately rewarding
4. Emotions are contagious; strive to never make a decision under duress
5. You need less than you think
6. You can do more than you think
7. Never stop trying, learning and growing
8. Take responsibility for ALL of your actions
9. Take care of yourself
10. Pay attention

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca