In 2016 I was ready for a new career opportunity. By February 2017 I had two awesome job offers in writing. How did I do it? I implemented my proven Career Search Rx system, and it gave me the advantage, just as it had so many times before during my twenty-seven year career. It is not too late for you to achieve the same career success. In today’s post, I will share with you five steps from my CSRx system that you must take in 2018 in order to lead the 2019 career search pack and avoid a job search hangover.
- Decide which career field and/or position you will pursue – Don’t approach your career search haphazardly. Strategize. Ask yourself, “Do I want to continue to work in my current career field? Do I want to make a change in my industry or career field of choice? Also, what is the level of the position that I am interested in? Am I satisfied with your current level of responsibility or do I want to up my game and aspire to a higher level position this time?” Your responses to these questions can have a big impact on your job search strategy. If you plan to remain in your current career field and at the same level of responsibility, your plan may not require as quite as much preparation as it would if you planned on pursuing a promotion. On the other hand, if you are aspiring for a promotion, you will need to make certain that you are on your “A” game to show that you are ready to accept a higher level role. If you aspire to a new position in a new career field or specialty area, give it some careful thought and make the decision that is best for you and your current situation.
- Research the education and experience requirements that your career field or position of choice requires – Don’t begin your job search blindly and don’t assume that you will have to commit years to becoming a viable candidate. You may be able to take some initial steps to get your foot in the door, then continue to develop your qualifications as you grow in the field. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power,” so, arm yourself with as much field related knowledge as possible. Also check out professional organizations and see if you can join to learn more about the field. Also, go on LinkedIn and search the job title that you are interested in. You will find a host of people who are already in the field. Reach out to some of them, via In-mail, let them know that you are interested in working in the field and ask them for pointers on how to get started. Many of them will be willing to guide you. Also view their profiles and see what qualifications they possess. This will provide you will a good benchmark.
- Compare your qualifications to the filed’s requirements – Your goal is to become qualified well as quickly as possible. If your area of interest requires a degree and you currently hold an unrelated degree, research to determine how many credits from your completed degree program could count towards the degree that you are working towards. Also, depending upon how closely related your current degree relates to your field of interest, you may only need to take a few continuing education courses to meet the qualifications for your position of interest. Even better, if your current degree is at least somewhat related to the functional area that you are interested in, you might be able to attain a relevant certification to qualify. Knowing how your qualifications stack up against other candidates’ qualifications and the employers’ requirements will work to your advantage. If you are aspiring to a position in a career field or specialty area that you have never worked in, you will need to research which educational institutions offer the most cost-efficient and effective programs in your area of interest. State, local, and/or technical institutions are typically most cost-effective.
- Update your resume with industry keywords and terms – browse sites like LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Indeed, etc., for vacancy announcements in your field of interest. Pay careful attention to the wording and identify industry-specific terms and keywords that you can accurately work into the wording of your cover letter and resume to showcase your qualifications more effectively, make them more relatable to the current industry requirements, and to enhance your marketability.
- Research the type(s) of interviews employers typically use in their hiring process – Your industry of interest will likely determine the type of interview that will be used to hire new team members. Some industries utilize the panel interview as their selection platform of choice. Others combine the panel interview and ask behavioral questions to try and determine how you will act under certain circumstances. Still, others use knowledge and skills exercises to determine how strong your job-related knowledge and skills are in relation to their requirements. Effective practice can help you to be ready for any type of challenge thrown your way during the selection process, so the sooner you begin your preparations, the better.
A bit of strategizing, along with targeted practice devoted to achieving your objective of landing your dream career opportunity will be a very worthwhile investment. Begin by implementing one step per day and you will be miles ahead of those who partied from one holiday to the New Year. For more information on the Career Search Rx system, visit the products and resources page at https://nnamtique.com. Your 2019 reality will be much more pleasant all because you will have begun to pave the path to your very own career search success. You got this. Go Get Your New Job!
