Searching for a new job can be overwhelming, especially when the search for a job stretches on for a long time. Between preparing your resume, crafting cover letters, and jumping through interview hoops, embarking on a job search can be one of the most frazzling and anxiety-ridden parts of modern adult life.
If you’re on the hunt for a new job, or facing the prospect of embarking on a job hunt, use these tips to streamline the search. This will not only make your job search more manageable, but could hopefully shorten the duration as well.
1) Treat a Job Search as Your New Full Time Job
You must treat finding a job as if it were your full time job. So you need a place to work where you can concentrate without distractions. Along the same lines you need to work full time hours. When you get laid off it is too easy to get into the habit of staying up late and then “sleeping in”. If you are going to be successful you need to be organized and spend your “work hours” creating a resume ( and then constantly tweaking it), seeking out potential employers, submitting resumes, interviewing and following up.
2) Be Selective
You should definitely apply to any job you feel you’re qualified for, but you only have so much time and energy to devote to job searching, so don’t waste any of it by applying for jobs you know you have no chance of even being interviewed for. Be realistic, but don’t sell yourself short, either. If you’re missing one or two of the qualifications asked for in the job posting, you might still have a chance of getting an interview, because companies know they may not find a candidate with all of the experience and skills they’re looking for. But if you’re missing several of the company’s desired qualifications, move on to the next job.
Apply this strategy to interviewing, too, so you don’t waste your time interviewing for a job that pays significantly less than your desired salary, offers fewer opportunities for advancement, or is otherwise not advanced enough for your skill set. Be honest when interviewers ask about your desired salary range, and if they don’t ask, don’t be afraid to ask the salary range during an initial phone screening. This might put off some employers, but most will understand that you need a certain salary or certain benefits and don’t want to waste theirs or your time by interviewing for a position that can’t compensate you as you require.
3) Use Your Network
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