Although I often write as if there’s one best way to conduct a search for jobs, in reality I find my thinking is swayed by each person’s circumstances. In the end, while it’s difficult to declare one process as the superior approach for a majority of job seekers, I do find myself favoring about a dozen “best practices.” In reviewing the following list, you’ll see that the entries share a common thread in that they’re either strategic, action-oriented or both.
Best Practice No. 1. Looking at the hiring process from the employer's perspective. To see things from the employer's point of view entails more than customizing your resume to reflect industry terms. In fact, I'd argue that those steps are far less important than candidates think. Rather than seeing their company name embedded in someone's documents, I'm betting most managers would prefer conversing with a candidate who understands their business and their competitive challenges — perhaps even to the point of introducing themselves when no job is currently posted.
Best Practice No. 2. Referring to online ads for information, but not as a primary source of job leads. Taken with a grain of salt, online ads can provide substantial information to guide a job search. Here you can learn about jobs and companies you never knew existed, as well as specific terminology. But responding to ads as your main search activity is inviting frustration and productivity delays.
Best Practice No. 3. Identifying and articulating the target job you're currently seeking. If you don't know what you're looking for, how can you develop a search strategy? Having a job target empowers you to seek the unadvertised openings.
Best Practice No. 4. Following up with job leads, professional contacts, earlier conversations and even rejections to stay in front of people with the power to hire. Persistence is possibly the No. 1 downfall in most searches I evaluate. People simply give up too easily or talk themselves out of pursuing interactions with others.
Best Practice No. 5. Being a resourceful problem-solver. Most steps in job search are really just exercises in problem-solving. If you can train yourself to externalize the situation, you'll more easily approach "stuck" places with a "How can I make this work" attitude.
Best Practice No. 6. Taking the long view. Nearly everyone has experienced the tyranny of short-term needs as they try to solve their employment puzzle. But those who take the longer view have a distinct advantage, as they are able to narrow their pursuit to employment situations that will serve them well down the road.
Best Practice No. 7. Creating a daily schedule that builds job search momentum. Getting up too late or starting the day with draining activities are almost guarantees that your search will be less productive. Building a consistent schedule and organizing your tasks for each day are two simple ways of enhancing your energy for the project.
Best Practice No. 8. Eliminating nonproductive, busy work job search processes. Completing repetitive online applications for companies that aren't responding is an easy example of an activity you could cut out. What other actions are you taking with no evidence of success?
Best Practice No. 9. Surrounding yourself with positive people and eliminating most negative information feeds, including downbeat unemployment reports.
Best Practice No. 10. Tackling unpleasant tasks head-on, to reduce their power over you. For example, if you dislike writing cover letters or calling people to set up meetings, get these tasks over with early in the day.
Best Practice No. 11. Setting daily and weekly goals, as well as regular check-ins to evaluate your progress or correct course.
Best Practice No. 12. Incorporating gratitude into daily practices so you can keep both your perspective and your optimism. It's the little things that get us through difficult situations; taking the time to acknowledge how much is going right every day will help balance the frustrations of not yet being employed.
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