Spring is the prime time for a major cleaning to occur. The weather is warmer, the days are getting longer, the sun comes out, and you may feel your motivation increasing for the first time in months. Although “spring cleaning” often refers to cleaning one’s home, why not apply it to your job search, too? Much like your home, your job search can do away with things it doesn’t need.
Negativity
Especially if you have been searching a long time for a new job, negativity is bound to creep upon you at some point. Perhaps you landed an interview and didn’t perform well for the hiring manager. Or maybe you’ve applied to dozens of openings and haven’t heard back from one company.
Whatever the case, negativity won’t get you anywhere. In fact, it will hinder your job search and can cause you to be unemployed even longer. Hiring managers often say they can read a candidate’s emotions during an interview make sure you’re conveying a positive attitude and a passion for your field, instead of negative thoughts and feelings.
Unfocused efforts
Have you been applying to anything (and everything) that only partially matches your qualifications and experience? Does your resume have a list of jobs that don’t really relate to one another? If your job search efforts are all over the place, it’s unlikely that an employer will be able to clearly see how you’ll fit into the position they’re hiring for.
Too many people think that spending a lot of time applying for dozens of openings is the best way to land an interview. But with today’s technology, it’s not unusual for your application to never make it into a hiring manager’s hands if it doesn’t have the correct keywords or previous experience they’re looking for in an ideal candidate. So you need to be sure that it is in top-notch shape, to be professionally written and have all necessary info.
The key to a successful job search is the focus. You need to know what you really want and how you’re going to get it. To do this, create a job search plan with specific companies you would like to target. Then, start working toward identifying key contacts at those companies who you can get to know in order to get your foot in the door.
Excessive Doubt
Do you really believe you deserve the jobs you’re applying for? Do you think you can help a company with your skills? In today’s tough job market, employers want to hire people who can identify exactly how they can help them meet their bottom line. You need to be able to pinpoint what makes you better than the other individuals who will be applying for the same position.
If you’re unsure of what you excel at, you may want to talk with your support network or a career coach to determine your strengths and weaknesses.
The bottom line? In order to land a new job, you need to have the motivation and positive attitude to get yourself there. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to hand you the perfect opportunity you have to get out there and find it yourself.