Feeling the Job Search Blues?

by | Apr 19, 2017 | Job Search

Are you organized? Motivated? Hard-working? Dedicated? Educated? Accomplished? But still have NO CLUE what to do to get a new job??  You’re NOT ALONE!

Nope, I talk to job seekers everyday and there are millions of seekers feeling “Search Blind”.

We’re great problem solvers and not intimidated by big roles, making decisions or taking a risk…so how come we feel helpless when it comes to job search?

3 Things that Clog the pipeline

Portals – In my opinion these are the black holes of job search.  It takes away any human element that may be present and puts everyone in the same bucket of degrees, key words, and ……….  Let’s face it, anyone can have a professional resume written to look and sound good BUT in reality they are NO good.  On the flip side, there are millions of outstanding candidates who are qualified for the job floating in the portals but are never found during a search.  This can be maddening!

Conforming — We seem to band together in masses and keep doing EXACTLY what everyone else is doing.  In this case all the candidates blend together and there is really NO way to tell who is the best.

Technology Game – Another derail-er is the fact that our society has convinced us that technology is the way to go. Many job searchers send email notes but never ever reach out with a phone call.  Well, if we were the only ones doing this it might work well but seeing how everyone gets millions of email each week that chances of getting lost in the shuffle are great.  It is too easy to push the delete button and erase a message when you don’t know who the sender is.

I believe there are 4 main things to do to get out of this rut and make a solid plan.

  1. Focus – Know what you want (specifically) in a new role
  2. Plan Ahead – Where is your “give”. Meaning define your parameters for this role like location, size of company, public or private, products or service, values, culture et al. Then decide, where you might “give” a little for the perfect job.
  3. Prepare for Action – Where do you look for this defined role? Networking Groups are a good place to start, professional organizations, personal contacts, search boards, social media. The problem is that we all look in these places and then apply blindly on line. We need to make connections with real humans and then help them understand who we are and what we are seeking. Set Goals on a daily basis…how many connections, calls, email etc will constitute a good day? Write out your plan for the day…really, write it down and look at it. Share it with an accountability partner.
  4. Make it Happen! This is the part where we all fade. It is a lot of work to actually DO this. We are exhausted just thinking about it!! Define how you will measure your success. This is KEY! If you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish you will never know if you have arrived. Follow up with all of the contacts you have made. Don’t have a quick conversation and then let it die. It takes nurturing to make these relationships come to life …STAY committed and refresh and recalibrate often.

Sometimes a small shift in perspective is all it takes to send your journey in a different direction. I encourage you to start with a positive perspective, BELIEVE in yourself and your search, shed old habits, and GET THAT JOB YOU ALWAYS WANTED.   YOU can do it.  REALLY.