Career Resource Center : The final guide


How to Conduct an Effective Job Search

Part - I

How prepared are you for planning and conducting an effective job search? Successful job seekers must have both good information and well-developed job-hunting skills. Three important factors for a successful job search a re an awareness of your goals and skills, an understanding of the labor market, and a well-planned job search campaign.

The following six steps are used to conduct an effective job search.

STEP 1. Begin with Self-Assessment

The job search process begins with an identification of your values, interests, skills, accomplishments, experience, and goals. Self-assessment, though a time-consuming process, provides invaluable information to facilitate career decisions and to prepare you to market your background effectively.

Values
An awareness of what you value (qualities that are important and desirable) in a career will aid you in exploring career goals and attaining greater satisfaction in your work. Review the following list of values and check those most important to you. Then rank your top five values in order of priority.

Job security

  • Working as part of a team
  • Working independently with little supervision
  • Making a contribution
  • Professional status
  • Mental challenge
  • Pleasant surroundings
  • Challenging, stimulating co-workers
  • Different tasks to accomplish daily
  • Financial rewards
  • Creating something
  • Ability to advance
    (Adapted from Training For Life, by Fred Hecklinger & Bernadette Curtin, T 1994. Reprinted with permission from/of Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.)

    Interests
    Interests (areas that arouse your attention or enthusiasm) are closely related to values and frequently trigger skill development. You can identify interests by looking at enduring themes in your life-activities that persist over time, consistent choices, recurring dreams, or the way you spend your time. Try keeping a time-log or examining your most enjoyable times in-depth. If after doing so, you are still not clear about your interests or cannot rank them, consider meeting with a Career Center consultant.

    Next

    Source: The Net