We Have Not, Because We Change Not - Job Hunting

Job Hunting is a full-time job, and it’s amazing how lackadaisical many individuals approach job search until their bills pill up or state benefits end - creating a ‘reactive’ job search strategy out of anxiety and fear instead of a ‘proactive’ job search strategy out of desire and contribution. Seeking employment out of fear and anxiety will resonate during a job interview of any prospective employer. And, following are some tips to prevent you from landing a career that’s a mismatch to your core values, skills, and abilities.

Return to Your First Love
If you’re unemployed and your life only consisted of work, maybe your unemployment is a time to re-evaluate your life to determine your true values and passion. We were not created to simply work to pay bills, we were created to utilize our gifts and talents to bring glory and honor to God.

Discover your Skills and Aptitude
Many people are working in careers that are a total mismatch to their skills and abilities, vocational interests, work values and priorities, and temperament. This is prevalent because some jobs are secured for ‘debt relief.' An assessment is a great tool to help you match your career(s) to your strengths.

Create a Job Search Strategy
Once you’ve discovered your strengths, create a strategy to find the career that matches your assessment results. A strategy could consist of prioritizing your time, setting and sticking to a regular job search schedule, internet search, informational interviews, and developing and maintaining a career tracking log (this can help you determine your follow-up strategy).

Update your Resume
What does your resume say about you? Informational – it reads like a story with your employment history? Impact – demonstrates your abilities to make positive impacts and your contributions. Revise your resume to match your target career (don’t fabricate), highlighting skills equivalent to the career requirements. Common resume types to consider are functional, combination, or chronological.

Carry Your Resume like American Express...
Don’t Leave Home without It. If you frequent different business establishments like Starbucks for example, start a conversation with a familiar face to learn what they do and where they work. This conversation could potentially be your ticket to a career opportunity of your dreams.

Change Your Voicemail Greeting
Your music genre or ‘slang’ used for your voicemail greeting may need to be changed when you're conducting job search. Your voicemail greeting should be professional and clean inviting any prospective employer to consider you for an employment opportunity.

Approach Each Prospective Employer as a New Prospective Client
You have what they need, they have what you need. And, this could be the beginning of a wonderful relationship. Your approach to any relationship shouldn’t be unilateral. This is especially true for an Employer/Employee relationship. Interviewers can tell when interviewees are simply looking for work to fulfill their own desires and this can or will be a turn-off to any prospective employer. Demonstrate what you have to offer and how your skills can make an impact on the bottom-line of the company. Definitely demonstrate the benefits of adding you to their team.

Network, Network, Network
Only about 15 percent of available positions are advertised. So, get out from the computer and network. Consider joining an employment agency, temporary agency, or volunteer with the intent to demonstrate what you have to offer first instead of seeking what you need. Most businesses and employment opportunities are secured through relationships and not the internet, periodicals, or newspaper.