A good job search plan helps you find and achieve the job you want. People who take jobs they really want are typically happier, more successful and have a lower turnover rate. The question is, how do you find that perfect job?
Develop Your Job Search Plan
Every job search plan begins with a goal. You have to decide what it is that you want to do. You can't get a job that you want unless you know what it is that you want. If you are not sure of what it is you want to do, you can list your strengths and your talents. You can list your interests. You can compare these lists and find out what attributes and talents match your interests.
When you have created a short list of ideas, begin an internet search for job descriptions that match your interests. For people persons, ideal jobs may be found in customer service, management, sales, teaching and more. If you're a person that enjoys creating food and investing a lot of time in the kitchen, you might consider a career as a chef. If you're a person that loves to work with kids, you might consider a job as a teacher. If you like little kids, but not teenagers, then you may want to work at the preschool or elementary level.
Knowing what you want to do will allow you to develop your plan more effectively.
Your Skill Set
Now that you know what you want to do, you have to examine your skill set and the general job requirements. For example, if you want to teach, you'll need at least a Bachelor's Degree and certification from the State Board of Education in the state you want to teach in.
If you're still working on a degree, you may consider applying for a position at a daycare or nursery school where you do not need a teaching certificate, but you can work with children and train your teaching skills while still working on your education.
Finding a job in a similar field while developing your skill set is one solid step on your path to achieving the job you want. Growing your skills can be done in a variety of ways from on the job training to specialized schools to college and more. Don't knock solid opportunities because it doesn't fit into an idealized box.
Are You Willing to Relocate?
Sometimes, a job you want may be easier to find in another city than in the one you're living in right now. People who want to be teachers, for example, may receive solid financial aid or scholarships for their education if they agree to teach in a different school district in the same state or another state upon completion of their degree.
Writers who want to break into television and film writing are far more likely to be successful if they move to where the careers are available than if they stay in their own town. If you are willing to relocate, consider expanding your job search to outside of your state or to the area you want to live in. Many larger companies and corporations offer relocation packages.
What Company Do You Want to Work For?
You know what you want to do. You know what skills you need to develop. You know where you want to live. Now you need to find the company or business that you want to work for. Knowing what you want to do and where you want to do it will give you an area to begin your job hunting in. The writer who wants to be a front page journalist knows that they are going to have to work their way up. Knowing where they want to live, gives them the option of freelancing or applying for a staff writer position at their areas local papers.
The company or business you want to work for must:
- Be in your field or a closely related one
- Offer you opportunities to expand your knowledge base on the job
- Fulfill at least two of the three basic criteria (job interest, job location, job requirements)
You may have to take one job to achieve another, this means you cannot be wholly dependent on benefits packages or salary when you are just starting out.
How to Get that Job
Every job search plan must answer how to get the job you want. You've done a lot of the work already, but the final step is getting your resume or application into the hands of the right people. You do this by:
- Submitting directly to the company
- College Campus Recruitment
- Job or Career Fairs
- Networking
- Direct Mailing (Mail key hiring managers at the places you want to work)
- Internet Job Sites (Monster, Careerbuilder.com, etc)
Don't Give Up
You know what job you want to have. Do not give up if it proves elusive. A good job plan may take time to put you into the position you want, but if you work at it, you can achieve the job of y our dreams..
