Revive YOUR Job Search -- A More Confident And Positive Approach To Landing That Job

Job Search can be rather stark and lonely work. In tough job markets, things can take on a more difficult turn for many job seekers.

Some of the most confident and positive of people have been shaken up by recent disruptive events such the Covid-19 Pandemic that started in early 2020. Millions of job losses affected persons who never expected such a turn of events to touch THEIR jobs. We all read, heard, and/or saw videos of the many stories of those affected by Pandemic-related employment challenges. It has been a brutal harsh change for many.

For some people in some job markets, the job search has been significantly longer and more frustrating than they expected. Some job seekers (and their loved ones) have been asking themselves questions they never faced before. The untowardly long and frustrating job search has been making many job seekers less confident and positive about themselves. They have questioned the job market they face. They have questioned the world around them. They have questions about the future.

If you are one of those caught up in the challenges of a long and disappointing processes affecting YOUR Job Search, there are some ways forward. YOU CAN pull out of the funk, and ramp up a MORE confident and positive approach to YOUR Job Search. ?Some of the points below could help in one or more aspects of YOUR Job Search.

Caveat: If any point below sounds like medical / therapist advice, please NOTE that I am NOT a medical doctor, psychologist, or therapist. Please consult appropriate experts on any of the following suggestions that appear to require qualified medical or therapist advice. I am only giving practical, common sense advice for your consideration.

1.????Use And Stick To A Personal Weekly Time-Table To Structure YOUR Job search. It helps to have a standard schedule for everyday of the week. The schedule should be full: every hour has a scheduled activity, from waking up to sleeping. The standard schedule can be adjusted for scheduled PRIORITY items, meaning Job Search activities (all other activities should be secondary). For example, you can adjust the schedule for each occasion when you go to a job interview, or attend a high-value event related to YOUR Job Search. Share YOUR Personal Weekly Time-table with your close family. This will help them to support YOUR Job Search when they know your ‘family-time’ as indicated on the schedule. Otherwise, some might take you for granted and/or try to make you an errand boy or girl for all sorts of low-priority activities because they assume that you have ‘nothing to do’ most of the time. ?Let your attitudes and actions show that you are in FULL-TIME Job Search!

2.????Spend 40 To 60 Hours A Week On Job Search. Yes, there are enough things to do to fill 60 hours a week on Job Search alone, if you are really serious about YOUR Job Search! Job search activities include planning, researching, reading, networking (in person and electronically), documentation updates and customizations (CVs, Cover Letters, etc.), searching multiple media for jobs, applying for jobs, attending job interviews and other employment testing events (preparation, practice / rehearsals, travel, follow up communications, etc.), reviewing and comparing job offers, negotiating job offers (if possible), fulfilling pre-employment conditions, ?preparations to start work, etc., etc. Job Search is, in terms of time spent per week, a dress rehearsal for the real world of work! As such, YOU should not spend less time on full-time Job Search than people who work full-time. Anything less, means you are likely NOT doing enough.

3.????Get enough sleep in order to function properly: 6 to 8 hours a day works for most people. Regarding sleep, do NOT shortchange yourself if you want to function properly. Do NOT overdo the sleep just because you think that you are ‘free’ to do anything, anytime.

4.????Get Up Early Every Single Day! Get up early like those going to work do. Getting up early gets you in the rhythm of work, every day. You need to get up early on weekends too in order to avoid losing your rhythm and discipline. After a while, your body will get used to it and automatically want to get up at the right time. ??

5.????Exercise Every Single Day! First Thing In The Morning. 20 to 30 minutes at the least. Exercise enough to generate some sweat (based on YOUR doctor’s recommendation for YOU). This shakes off the blues, shapes up the mood, shakes off any fears, and gets YOUR body juices flowing in readiness for work. Yes, Job Search IS work.?

6.????Get Out! Get Out!! Get Out!!! ?Dress Up For Work. Dress To Impress! Get Out! Dressing Up and Getting Out boosts YOUR confidence level in many ways. Dress Up Like You Are Going To Work, Get Out!! Get Out and go to the library. Get Out and go to meet people. Get Out and go attend FREE professional events (tons of them if you search, note, sign-up for and schedule them). Get Out and go join alumni group events (Elementary school alumni, Middle school alumni, Secondary school alumni, College alumni, Graduate school alumni, etc. …You can see how many networking opportunities you are missing already?). ?Even with the strictest of Pandemic-induced Protocols for safety, you can Get Out, join, be seen and be heard in many FREE webinars and virtual events around the world – all related to YOUR Job Search (there are tons of these FREE activities these days). Note: Staying behind your computer indoors (or in the basement), in your Pyjamas or casual indoor-only wear, and cranking out tens and hundreds of applications a week is not only ineffective but also particularly depressing, eventually. It is like avoiding the Real World of Job Search. Get Out!

7.????Get Some Sunshine, Everyday (If Possible). About 15 To 20 Minutes Minimum A Day Is Important. No excuses (unless you live in a land of 24 hour darkness). You can get frequent sunshine hours even in some of the coldest winters. In the winters in my good old former state of Minnesota (notorious for long, character-building winters), the sunniest days are often the coldest. Even in such places, if absolutely necessary to stay indoors, you can stay behind a sun-drenched glass window at the right times of day – just to get your daily doze). Of course, too much sun without sun-protection cream is bad for you. Sunshine not only improves your vitamin D levels, but also cheers you up!

8.????Connections! Connections!! Connections!!! Job Search Is A Contact Sport: Networking is STILL the most effective means of landing a job, by many indicators. A survey of employers indicates that they rely heavily on referrals (through internal contacts) when filling vacancies. Accordingly, many employers never advertise many jobs. I cannot say enough on the importance of networking.

Leverage YOUR networks. Reach deep and wide into your connections, starting with those you know. Build up the positive goodwill from there. LinkedIn, for example, enables you to build-up lots of positive connections with many people, and to stay positively on the radar. Use it wisely. ?Read everything you can about how to network in the cultural settings of your target market. YOUR Job Search has no time for being a recluse or being shy. ‘Your network is your net worth’ is a statement attributed to multiple persons.

9.????Prepare! Prepare!! Prepare!!! Research, clip and save information, read / study / learn about your target industry, target employers, target jobs, target locations, etc. Your confidence improves as your mastery becomes more complete, comprehensive, current, etc.

10.???????????Improve Your Job Search Communications: Improve your communications skills and technology use for Job Search. This includes verbal, written, body language, etc. It also includes the use of the popular audio and video chat technology platforms that are popularly used these days.

11.???????????Update Your Job Search Documentation: Your CVs, Cover Letters, Emails, Conversations, Activities On LinkedIn And Professional Forums, Etc., etc. all need updates. Update, improve, re-align, review (with the help of a knowledgeable family or friend) your CVs (plural) and Cover letters (plural) for different situations: job level, job content, employers, industries, locations, environments, etc. Develop your standard templates, yes. But customize them for each situation or job application. Yes, Job Search is hard work (unless you want to keep shooting in the dark forever). Real jobs are also hard work. A lazy approach to YOUR Job Search will only bring you lots and lots of negative responses that make you feel worse and worse over time).

12.???????????Practice! Practice!! Practice!!!: ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ it is said. There are lots of things to practice for YOUR Job Search: Mock Job Interviews (Introductions, Core Questions, Closing, Follow Up, etc.), Employment Tests (Search, find and practice the ones typically used in YOUR field), Meet And Greet, Job Offer Negotiation, Job Search Follow Up Conversations, etc., etc. Practice in front of the mirror. Record and play back your presentations. Practice with selected knowledgeable family and friends whom you ask to help you. Take their feedback in good faith. Improve your performance / presentation in the areas that need improvement based on their feedback. Try again. And again! As you develop mastery, your mood and confidence gets better and better. Just beware of being over-confident. It does not help.

13.???????????Smile When You Speak; It Makes You Look And Sound Much, Much Better: Smile when face-to-face with people. Smile when you are on the phone or a video chat platform. You look much better on video when you smile. Your voice and tone sound better and more confident when you smile. YOU feel better when YOU smile. The listener feels better about you when YOU smile. Better things happen to you when YOU smile.

Now, Go Make Brighter Days Of YOUR Job Search (SMILE)

Best wishes with YOUR Job Search (SMILE)

E. K. Torkornoo

20210716

#jobsearch #jobhunting #getthatjob! #backtowork #staypositive

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