STARTING YOUR JOB SEARCH - Critical Questions

If you’re going on a trip, it helps to have a destination.

Anyone looking for a job cannot do so effectively without a plan.  Whether you are looking for a new job because you are looking for a change, or if the unfortunate circumstances of a layoff or downsizing make looking for a new job a necessity, it will help to take some time to decide what your goals are and how you are going to get there.

I have changed jobs a number of times, and regardless of the circumstances, I took some time to decide what was important to me in a new job.  Was I looking for a new place to live?  Was I looking for a new industry?  Was I looking for an alternative position, such as finding a marketing job instead of a sales job?  Was I looking for more responsibility or challenge?  All this is necessary so that, when you do get your next job you don’t regret your move right away or some time down the line.  You want to minimize the chance that you will end up saying “If only…”

There are some core steps that make up an effective job search.  These might vary a bit for each person, but generally speaking every successful search for a new job or career change is based on the answers to the following:

What do I want to do for a living? or who do I want to work for?

What kind of company do I want to work for?  What industry (or industries)?

How do I find out what kind of job is out there for me in my target industries?

What do I put in my resume?  What format do I use?

How do I find out what companies have the kind of job that I want?

Once you have answers to these questions, you are ready to hit the road and find that job or career you want to have.

In future postings, I will discuss these questions, and how you can best get the answers for yourself.  I will give you ideas about information resources and various approaches you can take for self-assessment and for finding those industries and jobs that will proved personal and professional satisfaction.

And with that…why delay starting our journey?  Here we go…!

One of the first things that someone asks when they start a job search is:

Who am I going to work for?

This question is more important than you think.

Determining who or where you would like to work (or perhaps more importantly where you don’t want to work) deserves careful and detailed research.

Remember… Doing research at the beginning will help you avoid disappointment in your job and career search.

 You should answer 4 questions before you start your search

• What do I want to do?
• What companies do I want to work for (or what industry do I want to work in)?
• Do I want to change industries?
• Am I willing to relocate? If so, is there anyplace I would not want to live?

 Once you have answered these questions, then you can take advantage of a number of resources available to help you find companies you will want to work for.

One of the best staring points for me has always been the State Industrial Directories. They are available at your local library. If you live near a college or university, you may find that they have a complete set for all 50 states.

The value of the State Industrial Directories lies in the detailed information that is available about even some of the smaller companies in each state. The Directories are organized by company name and also by SIC code and location. In addition, each company listing includes the names and titles of key management personnel at each location. More detailed information about using the State Industrial Directories will be included in a forthcoming blog post.

In addition to the State Industrial Directories, there are data bases available which are also available at your local library. Many libraries subscribe to these. Data bases such as Hoover’s, and ReferenceUSA offer detailed information about companies, their size, product line, key management personnel, and in the case of corporations, their subsidiaries.  There are others out there as well. Just ask the Reference Librarian in your local library for assistance.

For recruiters, I suggest that you go to your local bookstore and buy the Director of Executive and Professional Recruiters. I say “purchase” because this is a book you will want to own. It is the Bible of the recruiting industry. It lists both contingency and retained (I will discuss the difference in a future post) search firms. They are also listed by the functions and industries they specialize in. I will discuss dealing with recruiters in an upcoming post.

Once you have answered the questions I mentioned above for yourself, and have decided what companies, industries and/ or locations will be the focus of your search, then you need to consider strategies and tactics for contacting companies and getting them to review your resume and consider you for any open positions that they have. This of course, is true of recruiters, as well.

In future posts, we will discuss ways of answering these questions, and then putting the results of your research and soul searching to work to assure your success in looking for that new job.