Making the Most of Your Job Search

Are you looking to improve your job search experience?  Making the most of your job search is something that every candidate strives for, but often cannot find.  It is stressful looking for the perfect job and many times, you will end up taking a subpar job because you get antsy or nervous. 

Below are some tips to help you through your job search experience: 

• While it is important to be critical of yourself, don’t beat yourself up too much.  It is important to take an inventory of yourself and your skills, and make adjustments, that makes a good candidate.  However, if you find yourself constantly beating yourself up, you might want to take a step back.  This type of behavior is destructive to your job search and will prohibit you from being productive and finding the right job. 
• Instead of randomly submitting and applying for jobs, make a plan.  Get off the roller coaster ride, and strategically plan how and what you will apply for.  This means reviewing your resume, researching the perfect industry to work in, researching companies, and more.  Target your search to the areas that will make you happy. 
• Many job candidates feel like they are running against a clock.  Yes, you need to work, but at what expense?  Your self-imposed deadline will do more harm than good.  Accepting a position until “something better comes along,” is not the answer.  Look for the position that is best for you and your lifestyle. 
• Be specific about what you want from your new position.  Do not generalize, but instead truly think about what is important.  Rank your items in order of most important to least important.  This will give you a good list to judge positions against.  If you have four items that are musts, do not settle for the position that only meets two of them. 

When you take the time to value yourself and what you want out of your job, you will have a better experience in your job search.  Finding the right job is more than about being happy at your job, it is about living the lifestyle that you want!  Don’t rush it. 

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