It’s a new
day, a new year and it’s time to land that new job you’ve been dreaming about for
the last little while. What follows is a list of tips on how to do that:
- Create a proper marketing plan with you as the product and/or service that needs to be sold and implement it
- Learn how to use the wide variety of technology that is available
- Make friends with as many recruiters as you can. Don’t make a big deal about it. Just send a quick e-mail to let them know you are available. Don’t worry about being short – most recruiters prefer candidates who can and will get to the point quickly and efficiently. Time is money and there is not enough of either to waste.
- Document everything you do:
- Every résumé you sent and to whom – Take the time to find out the contact information of the hiring manager and use it.
- Every rejection letter you received and when
- Create a separate address book for work related contacts – Not everyone wants to be your 1st level contact on LinkedIn
- Make a point of reading the industry trade journals and newsletters in your inbox
- Create résumé templates – This tip is especially important if you have a career history that can be applied to different industries
- Find a way to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area – Write a blog for your own site or as a guest author for someone else, write a book, speak at an event, start/host an on-line forum/group, author white papers, contribute to an industry publication, answer questions on social media sites, etc.
- Install a timer on your computer to let you know how long you have been working at a particular task – Don’t forget to take regular breaks.
- Add something fun to your schedule at least once a week
- Stop worrying – The amount of time spent worrying about things you cannot control and the actual outcomes of events are not related
- Spend at least one hour per day learning a new skill or working towards a certification that you will be able to use in your new job
- Work on your time management skills:
- Make lists
- Prioritize the items on the list
- Set realistic goals [SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, Time bound – You can also add ‘ER’ – Evaluate and Repeat]
- Find a mentor and/or someone to whom you can report you job search progress
- Set up job search alerts
- Follow your 'target' companies to keep up with what is happening and identify possible career opportunities
- Post your résumé on-line and make sure it’s searchable
- Set up a separate e-mail account for your job related activities
- Follow-up on résumés and applications sent during the past week
- Send thank you notes to people in your professional network who have provided you with job leads
- Help someone – Even little things count
- Track your results
“If you don’t design your own life plan,
chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And, guess what they have planned for
you? Not much.”
~ Jim Rohn
Hope this list gets you off to a good start. Good luck and best wishes from all of us at SMART
Career Planning.com. May you have a very happy, healthy, and tremendously successful 2013.
Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that 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. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca
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