Employ Best Work Habits When Seeking Employment

Here’s the easy way to tell whether you’re employing good job search habits and strategies: You results. If what you’re doing is producing results, i.e. two-way communications, phone interviews, in-person interviews, etc., then you’re on the money. However, if you’re getting little results in return for the action you’re taking, it may be time to look at what you’re doing and re-strategize, because how you approach your job search can make all the difference in the world. And this is where the habits used for a job search can either make or break your efforts. Here are a couple of job search habits you can adopt that are guaranteed to help you in your quest for a new position: 

Prepare for your job search the night before. If you’re going to start your job search on Monday, that means taking the time to create a list of who you’re going to call, email, text, etc. Sunday night. That way, you’ll start your Monday with a plan in place and will create better momentum for yourself and that momentum will translate into tangible results. When I first became a headhunter, we were instructed to create a list of no less than fifty companies to contact with the goal of turning as many of these companies into clients. Our list had a heading that would include: Company name, Phone number, Name of Contact (often left blank until the day we called to find out the name), Did we speak with the contact person (yes/no), Did we discuss our company & the prospect of our doing business together (yes/no), would they know of another company we should contact (if so, whom), and an open field to include any additional comments. This was a simple and effective tool that you could use for your own job search today. Once you start to employ this habit, you’ll make “preparing the night before” into “preparing before you’re done for the day” for the next business day. You’ll want to switch to the latter because you’ll be able to add info to your list from activities of the day while they’re still fresh in your mind. 

Creating the list needs to become routine for you. Once you start developing momentum, you’ll include other things on your list, like follow-up phone calls, emails, etc. Plan on how much time you’ll dedicate to creating your “to do” list for the next day, but once you get into the routine, it shouldn’t take more than about 45 minutes. 

Speaking of routines, it’s extremely effective to schedule and mark the time you’ll spend in the day and keep track to make sure you’re on that schedule. You’ll want to include lunch and a couple of breaks. Staying on that schedule not only helps you be accountable to yourself time wise, it also helps build inner-confidence that you are on task and that inner-confidence radiates to others, including potential employers. I guarantee it.

As you conduct your job search, don’t take it personally. Yes, you are looking for a position for you, but think of yourself and your talents as the commodity, not the individual. If you can do this, you’ll be a better advocate for yourself, which will help you market yourself that much more successfully. Remember that the person on the other end of the phone or reading the email, isn’t thinking about you, the person, but about your skills and talents and how they could benefit his/her company. The other key is to get clear on the top three points you would discuss about your professional background. Less than three may not be enough, more than three may be overkill. The top three points you’d discuss over the phone or via email need to be measurable, thought-provoking, and relevant to the company you’re contacting. 

 

To Your Success!
Rita

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.
~ Aristotle