When you're looking for a great opportunity - a chance to advance yourself within your field or a chance to find a completely different position over the course of your job search -one thing is certain: when you have goals for your job search, you are going to want to be sure that you are able to achieve them. Unfortunately, there are a number of things that most people do while they are in the midst of a job search that sabotage themselves.
There are a number of things that you can be doing that will sabotage your job search. Fortunately, when you understand what to do and what not to do, you'll be able to smooth out the process of searching for a job - and, ultimately, land the job that you've always wanted to have.
The first thing that you need to do in order to avoid sabotaging your job search is to have an action plan. When you have an action plan for your job search, you'll find that you are able to know what you're going to do each day, to know when to send out your resumes and even when the right time is to follow up on those resumes and after interviews.
The next thing that you are going to need to do in order to avoid sabotaging your job search is to recognize that the job market changes over time. If it's been a long while since you last went through a job search, chances are good that you won't be familiar with the ways in which many companies take advantage of the online application process or of where you can search online for a job that will be great for you.
Of course, without clear career goals and a career focus, chances are good that you won't be focusing your job search as well as you otherwise could. Without a clear focus, the chances that you will apply for positions that don't match your skills or qualifications increase - and that can sabotage your job search. Likewise, you'll find that when you are not focused on reaching career goals your resume will not perform as well and you will be less prepared for questions that come up during the interview process.
Simply by taking the time to know what types of jobs you want to apply for - which jobs will help you to reach your career goals - you will find that you are likely to have a more successful job search. When you know what you are working to find, you will be in a far better position to be prepared and to find it.
A job search can be frustrating - especially when you find that you are sabotaging yourself every step of the way. By taking the time to get a clear look at the picture, by focusing on your goals and what it is going to take to achieve those goals, you will find that a job search can go smoothly and land you right where you want to be.
Copyright 2008, Cecile Peterkin.
What exactly is LinkedIn? It is an online network of people all over the world. While technically, it is one of many social networking sites on the web, LinkedIn is probably the best know and most widely used business networking site. Additionally, while it has similarities to well-known social networking sites such as MySpace, there are also fundamental differences that make it much more useful for business purposes.
So, the next question, of course, might reasonably be, "What exactly is a business networking site?" And more precisely, "Why should I even care and how can it benefit me?" If you are asking these questions, you are definitely not alone! While there are huge numbers of people creating LinkedIn accounts and building their networks, there are relatively few who are getting the optimal benefit out of their effort.
According to LinkedIn's own explanation, the mission of LinkedIn is "to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have."
Even if you are not conducting a current job search, for ongoing career management and personal branding efforts, any tool that can help you network more effectively and efficiently should be of great interest. Again, in LinkedIn's own words:
"When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.
Your network consists of your connections, your connections' connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of qualified professionals." Through LinkedIn, then, you can search for jobs, you can easily make personal "inside" connections in relation to job opportunities, you can promote your personal brand and qualifications and be found and pursued for job opportunities, and you can form relationships that are critical to your career success and progression.
But remember, effective networking requires reciprocity through developing and nurturing win-win relationships. Through LinkedIn, you will also have the opportunity to help out those in your own network, answering questions, providing relevant leads, and helping them make connections to further whatever their goals are.
In the definitive guide to using LinkedIn for business and career management purposes, "I'm On LinkedIn: Now What?" Jason Alba explains that there are six major benefits to using LinkedIn:
1) The ability to be known and enhance your personal brand
2) The ability to be found by recruiters or other hiring authorities
3) The ability to find others and make important connections
4) The opportunity to learn and share
5) The ability to connect with group members
6) The opportunity to show you are plugged in to current technology
If you already have a LinkedIn account and have an established network in place. Let me urge you to take a closer look at how you are using it. Have you fully explored the features and benefits? Have you enhanced your profile? Have you joined any Groups? Participated by answering the questions of those in your network? LinkedIn is an excellent and very effective networking tool, but only if you use it!
If you have an established a LinkedIn account, but have just let it sit, unused, now is the time to log on and learn how to get the maximum benefit from it. Now-before you are actively job searching-is the best time to work on building up and cultivating your network. And, if you are new to LinkedIn and haven't yet created an account, there is no better time than the present! The more professionals that use LinkedIn, the more effective it will be.
Both Cecile Peterkin & Michelle Dumas are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cecile Peterkin has sinced written about articles on various topics from About Branding, Personal Finance and Leadership. Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career and Life Coach. Feeling stuck in middle management or mid career? Claim your FR-EE Assessment and complimentary coaching session at our. Cecile Peterkin's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.