There you go prowling websites for a perfect excursion. No, not a trip to fun land or happy canyon, but for an escape from your current mundane situation. Your job sucks and it’s draining the life out of you. Your motivation is at the lowest point known to man. You dread waking to repeat the process you left 12 hours earlier. And if you hear one more story about how someone is leading a new project, the guy that shouldn’t lead a glass to water, you’ll pull the fire alarm and clear the building just to avoid the official announcement.
If this is your scenario you need to go on the ‘hunt’ for a new gig. Get yourself together because the search for a good paying position is a job within itself.
What do you do to find a job? Well, you do a lot of things and the first thing is getting your pennies in order. Yes, get yourself financially prepared because if you don’t make the job search a smooth transition, you’ll need that savings account. Second, make sure you know who you are and your limitation for crappy conversations. OMG! If one more recruiter from a temp agency calls me for the same job again, and can’t understand the job requirements, I’m going to pull them through the cell phone and show them a trick or two. The frustration of explaining processes and techniques to a novice person in a key word search.
Okay, I digress. Back to the hunt. Analyze your skills to ensure your talent and desires are in line with those you wish to use and employ. Learn how to market your skill set and package your attitude. Hopefully you didn’t get caught when you pulled the fire alarm because you’ll need the last employer’s recommendation. In addition to the reference, you’ll need to know your market. Now, you’re in for a big surprise.
Market research is key to your hunt. It’s like going to safari for a possum. No, there aren’t any possums in Africa but you get my point. Yes, know your market and how you fit. If you are into credit cards and don’t know where to start, research financial businesses and study credit card processes. If you do, you’ll realize there are bigger players in the credit card industry than banks. So, get to your research and understand how you fit in the market to open doors of opportunity.
Networking is another element of the hunt. Ask friends and neighbors if they know of anyone in your area of expertise, or in connection with your industry of choice. Those introductions can aid you. When I talk to others about opportunities, I tend to inquire for specific referrals. Sometimes those connections work to your advantage. You can see the dear running across an open field but don’t fire too quickly. It may not be the right fit. Or those referrals are just names of people who know someone who knows someone, who knows another someone and it’s no one that knows anything but the address of the building.
Get yourself evaluation done and after you research the market, make yourself a checklist. Start with revamping an up to date resume and cover letter. Allow your information to be your ammo and target for the hunt. Find those available positions with your scout. Locate jobs on websites, open positions on job boards, and employment opportunities on other mediums. I say, get out there and dig. Methodically plan your search because hunting with a shot gun approach will win you nothing. Get your rifle and target those jobs you want. Fix your firing position and shoot to hit the bulls eye. These tips help you become the hunter with persistence.
Now down your suit and hone your interviewing techniques and get out there in the wilderness of employers. Sell yourself with each sure shot on the target. BANG!!!
Last, but never the least. And before you get happy with your shot, do yourself a favor, a huge favor. Make sure you understand your deepest desire. If it’s a pay check you want, don’t look for the difficult job or the high paying gig because you’ll set yourself up for failure. Instead, and this is key, find something that gives you a strong sense of balance. Land a job that gives you a purpose that helps your inner soul. Position yourself with a gig that enables you to develop in ways that pays you more on the long run. LEARN about yourself the life/work balance.
Unless you’re they type of person who is fortunate to work for yourself, the hunt will always be a life preserving reality. But if you’re the creative business type capable of starting your own company, then that’s the hunt you really need to go on.
Lonz Cook 