Tips on Job Hunting

Think carefully about your ideal career

Before you apply for a job, take time to reflect on what your most important objectives are. Do not move from one job to another without asking yourself some fundamental questions: How happy were you in your last job? What type of things do you like doing? What type of people do you like working with? How important is your career in your work / life balance? How ambitious are you really? How much are you prepared to travel? It is very common for people to readjust their priorities at different stages in their career and since work occupies a significant part of most people's time, it is an important component of overall personal happiness and contentment. Don't seek a particular type of job because you feel pressurised or because it is seen as the appropriate thing to do. You will be happier and more successful if you choose a job which is closely linked to both your interests and abilities.

Be realistic about your aspirations

An important part of personal development is acknowledgement both your strengths and your weaknesses. If you want to realise your childhood sporting dreams or become a successful multi-millionaire you will need to put in the time and take the risks that are required to achieve these dreams, so ask yourself are you willing to make the sacrifices required. If not, think about what you can do to help you achieve a part of those dreams. Play football in your local community or coach boys football. All of these activities will help you with your work life balance and help you develop skills that will be attractive to potential employers. Whilst it is important to aim high and continue to seek improvement, it is necessary also to be realistic in the goals you set yourself. If you do not have the appropriate qualifications or experience for a job you would like, look into what you can do in your existing role to develop the skills required or what courses can you take to improve your qualifications. Take time in developing yourself to help you achieve your own measure of success

Do not measure yourself against other people's criteria. You should set your goals according to your personal priorities. A certain job may look attractive from the outside but may appear very different to those actually doing it. Alternatively, benefits in one area (eg salary) may be offset by sacrifices elsewhere (eg working hours or time away from home). In most cases, you will find greatest professional satisfaction through devoting your energies to finding the best outlet for the skills and experience you possess. If you are frustrated in your career path and wish to seek new horizons, you must be ready to accept that there is rarely an easy short cut. In such cases you must enhance your expertise via additional training or new qualifications or be prepared to start a new career at a lower level.

Be persistent

No individual is perfect for every job. Different positions may require different skills, experience or personalities and it is fruitless to try and second-guess how or why an employer makes every recruitment decision. Rejection by a company is no reflection on your qualities as an individual but is simply due to the fact that your skills and experience were not exactly right for that particular job. It can even be the case that you appear over qualified.

Don't take rejection personally. Learn from your interviews, avoid repeating any mistakes you may have made and listen to the feedback you receive from different parties. Above all, keep trying and use the experience to prepare for each subsequent application. At the end of the day, you can only accept one job at a time. The key objective is to ensure that the job you take is the right one for you.