Blog - New year Job Hunt

So having survived what was for many people their first week back at work after Christmas and New Year break, how are you feeling?

It is not surprising that many people view the arrival of the New Year as the ideal opportunity to refocus, review their career and look for something new and commit to spend some time to look for that ideal new job.

Here are a few ways to make sure your 2008 job search is a success:-

Set clear goals
Let’s be clear here when we say goals we mean a list of meaningful targets that are achievable and realistic, not too restrictive and not to onerous that you beat yourself up if you don’t hit them all.

Think about goals as a way of deciding where you are going and how you are going to get there thinking both short and long term.

Firstly look in your diary and select a date in the future when you want to be in your new job. Then think about where you want to be in 3 years. You’ve covered the short and the long term, linked them together and research shows that setting a timeline for achieving your goals tells your subconscious that you are serious about your objective.

Now check that the goals are realistic – saying you want to be in a new job next week is not going to be achievable when on average it can take 3 months to identify and secure the next role. But do take some time out and make weekly targets that will help you get to where you want to be. Whenever setting your targets, make sure they are always related to your overall objectives.

You don’t need to cross all your goals off the list every week, but studies have proven that people who keep a list of things they want to achieve end up fulfilling the majority of them. Job hunting can be tough and seeing real measures that you are getting closer to your goal will give you a sense of accomplishment and you will feel more motivated about your progress.

Market yourself
It is important that you understand what job you really want and how to go about getting it in the most effective way.

A job hunt is exactly that, it is a ‘hunt’ to seek out the right job for you. Online job hunting now accounts for 48% of job searching activity so it is important to identify which of the job sites are relevant for you. Make a list of those ones that seem to have the jobs you would be interested in, register on them and get regular email updates of new roles. Remember though that the competition is tough and this alone is not going to guarantee you the job of your dreams.

So do get involved with some recruitment companies! Sorry but you knew it was coming we are not all bad, can offer you some genuine and helpful advice and will talk to you about what you want, why you think you can do it and whether your CV works for you.

I won’t talk about CV’s here as that is a huge topic in its own right; keep it clear, concise, relevant and fresh. Do get someone else to read it and see what their first impression is. If you are in sales make sure is says how much you sold and to who, project managers should detail the projects they worked on, the value, the team size and the result and if you are in a business support function say what impact you have on that role and why you think you have skills that will help your future employer.

Now is a good time to network a little, find out who in your field might be recruiting either agency or the employer and talk to them. Having been on both sides of the fence I love to talk to anyone who is looking for a job even if it is only for a few minutes to confirm that it is worth them sending the CV. Even a short conversation helps log you in peoples minds when that CV does arrive.

Use your time effectively
You work hard all day in a job you’re not enjoying, you have home commitments, food to cool etc. the last thing you will want to do is look for a new job. It isn’t easy but you do need to put some focused time aside for your job hunt, to get on the internet and see what is out there. It really is a numbers game – the more effort you put in the better the result you will get.

Without being pessimistic think about your failures as well. If you have applied for loads of jobs but still aren’t getting anywhere then something may be wrong with your approach? Make sure that the roles are looking at are a good fit for your skills and experiences. Make your CV relevant to that role making your sure your applications are targeted and clearly show why you’re the best person for the job.

Lastly don’t give up. It does take time to do this properly.

Don’t forget if you are looking for IT Project Management or IT Sales roles across the UK then make your first contact:-

mckinley|resource
www.mckinleyresource.com
0161.209.9399

Happy 2008 job hunting!