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Deciding Where To Focus
One of the critical first steps
in any job search is deciding where to focus
It is okay if you are not sure what
you want to do next - the average person will change jobs 8
times over the course of their career. What is important is to
figure out what you like, what you are good at and what you care
about and then research what careers are related. Sometimes a
job is as good for helping you figure out what you do not want
to do as it is for helping you figure out what you do want to
do.
Success In Your Job Search And Your
Career Starts From Within
Many people
associate professional success with an impressive job title, or
believe that working for a famous company is intrinsically
better than working for company that is not well known. Success
comes in many different shapes and sizes however, and
overlooking that can lead to finding one's self in an
unsatisfying job or focusing on the wrong things in their job
search. Determining what is important to you, and setting and
staying focused on long-range goals will lead to a successful
job search and more importantly a satisfying career. As you
think about what success means to you and tackle job search,
here are some important things remember.
Don't Loose Track Of The Big Picture - What You Do Does Not
Define You.
How many times
have you asked someone or have you been asked "what is your
job?" or "what company do you work for?" This is because it Is
common to equate someone's job with their success, and the more
impressive someone's title, or the more famous the company is
that they work for, the more successful we perceive them to be.
When starting a
job search it is important to not just think about your next
job, but also consider what you want to do and be in the future
and where you would like your career to take you. Then consider
what the possible paths are that could take you there. You
might work as a salesperson in a shop to earn money while
studying to learn a new language or get a masters degree. You
might work as a restaurant waiter so you can learn the business
and someday open your own restaurant.
Your job at any
given time is not as important as what you are working towards
in your life. And no matter your age, working in a
non-prestigious job while developing your skills in other areas
is just as respectable as working for a famous multi-national
company.
Careers evolve
over time and it s important to prioritize your future goals
over your current job title. No matter what stage you are in
your career, you'll be happier ten years from now if you are
doing or continuing to move toward something you like and that
is important to you. You'll be glad if you can look back and
say the yourself "I had to make some sacrifices in the past to
get to where I am today, but it was worth it."
As you advance
in your career it may change direction also. Hardly anyone
knows exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life
when they are young. The principal still applies though that if
you focus only on the present and take a job for the pay or the
company name, eventually you will become dissatisfied and wish
you were working toward something you actually cared about.
To Succeed In Your Job Search And
Your Job, Figure Out What Is Important To You And Stay Focused.
When you are looking for a job, nothing is worse than to come
across as unfocused. It's okay not to have a definite career
direction because it's unrealistic to think you can perfectly
plan out a career path from day one. However, you do have to be
focused during a job search. You can be absolutely sure that a
job you are applying for is right on target, even if you are not
absolutely should of your long-range goals.
Whether through letters, phone calls, or interviews, every point
of contact with prospective employers must convey that you have
a focus and that you arrived at that focus with careful thought
and consideration. You must be able to articulate why any given
job is right for you and why you should be hired. And this is
what you should convey to an employer
By Figuring
out what you like, what you are good at and what you care about,
you can research and determine what the career is that's right
for you. You need to
determine
which interests
need to be a part of your work life, which skills you have that
will be of value to an employer, and what are the things that
are most important to you - money, lifestyle, pursing a personal
interest, doing something good for the world, etc.
To assist you
in answering these questions you should imagine yourself in
different jobs and consider what you might like and not like in
each scenario. You should research various industries and
careers by trying to speak with people in each profession you
are considering. The Internet can be a valuable source of
information as well. Websites such as
www.vault.com
and
www.wetfeet.com
have a lot of information about various industries and careers.
Personality tests available on the Internet can be helpful as
well.
www.mirrorgate.com
offers basic personality and career tests free of charge.
After you have considered your options and decided on the
industries and jobs to focus your search on, you should identify
and approach specific companies. You should communicate to them
why a job at their company is right for you and what you have to
offer.
Know What You Have To Offer.
Ambitious
career planning and big dreams are great. And if you work hard
and stay focused it is possible to accomplish a tremendous
amount. At each stage of your career though, it is important to
be realistic as well as ambitious. Remember the job has to be
right for you AND you have to be right for the job. You may
want to run a company some day, but you'll need the right
experience before being ready for that. You may want to be a
Sales Manager some day, but it is important to be a Sales Person
first. So aim high, but tale it step-by-step.
If you take a
thoughtful, focused and realistic approach to your job search
and your career, it is possible to accomplish a great deal.
Don't worry how long it takes or what others think. Keep
thinking about your long-range goals and keep working towards
them and eventually you will achieve them.
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