With a new year often comes new resolve–and in this case, some of you may want to focus that resolve on finding a job in 2015. If combing the want ads and job websites while sending out cover letters and resumes hasn’t yielded the results you’d like, perhaps it’s time to step things up a notch. Use these suggestions to come at your job search for the upcoming year with some novel approaches.
- Revisit your goals. Perhaps you’re looking for something to replace the position you were in–but look carefully at your whys: Why did you want to leave/did you lose that last job? Why do you want a change? Why did you like that previous position/place of work? Once you’ve answered those questions, assess what you want out of the next job in terms of the position you want, where you’d like to work (location and industry), and what would make you happiest in terms of the position itself and the climate you want to be in. You may realize you don’t want exactly what you had before, which can refocus your search.
- Look at networking from a new angle. Search out local opportunities in your area–business-themed happy hours, industry-themed groups on LinkedIn (who often sponsor get-togethers), alumni chapters of your former high school or college–and chat up who’s there. And don’t forget to consider social opportunities ranging from parties to coffee shops to volunteer work. Practice your “elevator pitch,” your 30-second sell of yourself so you can work it smoothly into conversation, and you may well get a helpful connection.
- Become a problem solver. Too often candidates go into a job search or interview looking to see what the job can do for them. But look at it from the other side: Employers want to know what you will do for them. View each interview as a problem to be solved. Read the job description carefully beforehand and see what they’re looking for, then prepare to go in and show them how your experience fits their needs–how it solves their problem.
- Recommit yourself to the search. Though it may sound trite, if you’re unemployed, your job each day is to find a job. Figure out when you have the most energy during the day and harness those hours to communication: interviews, phone calls, and general networking. Your high energy level will reflect in your voice and choice of words. Use the lower energy times to tweak your cover letters and resume, as well as search for opportunities. Be prepared to devote several hours a day to your search, and come up with a written schedule so you stay focused.
- Keep that enthusiasm. This last part can be difficult. Look at 2015 as a new beginning, a time to try new and sometimes unconventional approaches to getting yourself psyched up. Dress as if you’re going to work. Take a few minutes to quietly visualize yourself in the job, knocking it out of the park during meetings or becoming the go-to person for a certain skill. Do your wake-up routine to the Rocky theme song–whatever helps motivate you. And focus on improvement over perfection; every little step you take will add up.
Look at 2015 as your year to change things up in your job search and see what you can make come to you. If you need any help with your search, reach out to the experienced PrideStaff Thousand Oaks recruiters for some expert advice.
