When your job is “Getting the job”
By Karla Goodhart
Be honest about what you want
Sure, applying for numerous positions, regardless of your qualifications, may make it seem like you are being proactive in a job hunt.
You may even find yourself in numerous interviews along the way. However, if time isn’t a factor, you should be honest with your expectations of the career path you take.
Beginning a journey in the workforce takes serious contemplation if you want to find a job which you are passionate about. When considering a field to enter, don’t let the final decision be made on salary, alone. You should feel excited and proud to go into each workday to perform your best.
Here are some things to ask yourself before you enter a job hunt.
Do You Want to Travel?
A nine-to-five office setting isn’t right for everyone. The repetition can lead to exhaustion and lack of desire toward the occupation. Consider if you would be happier working in various locations.
If travel sounds enticing but the thought of constantly being miles from home doesn’t suit you, search for an occupation that keeps you out of the office while navigating your local area. Some possible careers include consultant, tour guide for local attractions or even working remotely in a job that you can perform from anywhere.
Is Money More Important than Stability?
Of course, salary should play a role when deciding on a new position but don’t forget to think long term. If you want to complete your career in the same industry, consider fields expected to see growing demand.
A stable career path with chances of advancement can prove to be more beneficial in the long run, over an immediately high salary in a field with a questionable future.
Can You See Yourself Retiring in This Field?
According to a Gallup poll, nearly three out of four Americans plan to work beyond the traditional retirement age — not because they must, but because most simply enjoy their career.
The key to working until (or after) retirement is being passionate about your field. Consider who your professional hero is and how you can emulate them in a similar position. Be honest about your skillset. While challenging yourself is great, if you accept a role too far from your comfort zone, stress levels can be exhausting.
Get Organized
If you’re disorganized during a job hunt, it’s likely that it won’t result in your favor.
Because you may find yourself applying for multiple positions, it’s likely your resume will be fine-tuned to meet the keywords and requirements of a hiring manager. Forgetting which copy you sent where can lead to embarrassing mistakes or worse, a dishonest and unprofessional impression.
Getting lost in the shuffle when discussing career opportunities can lead to missed interviews, blown deadlines and misplaced contact information.
Stay on top of the organization during your job hunt by following these helpful tips.
Use a Spreadsheet
To organize your job applications, using a spreadsheet can keep everything organized in a neat package. When developing this data tracker, here are some important things to include in your list:
- Company name and point of contact
- Email addresses and phone numbers of company
- Date applied and application summary
- Interview dates, follow-up actions and post-interview statu
This will give you a clear perspective of which stage you are in for each position you have applied for and how you should move forward.
Reduce the Number of Applications
While a spreadsheet is effective to organize multiple job submissions, limiting the number of applications you send at once also is helpful.
When you only have a few to focus on, it’s easier to follow up. For instance, it will be easier to manage sending thank-you emails to hiring managers following an interview.
If possible, apply for a few batches that meet your criteria at once, rather than sending applications to every company on a hiring website.
Nail the Interview
Once you get an interview, being organized gives you the opportunity to learn more about the company. By keeping track of the hiring manager’s details, you can search online for their business persona to get an idea of their professional goals. Take advantage of interests you share in your own career path and call on that information in an interview.
Once You’ve Got the Job
You’ve finally landed your dream job after sending numerous applications, impressing during interviews and waiting to receive confirmation. So, what’s next?
The anxiety regarding the uncertainty of your new job can be dismal. Relax and prepare for the upcoming journey.
If you’re unsure how to act as you begin your new occupation, check out these tips from the career experts at Indeed.
The First Week
It doesn’t matter how qualified or educated you are for your new position; you’re not expected to know everything about the operation during your first week. Take this time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings, policies and peers.
To alleviate anxiousness, try to introduce yourself to as many people as you can. It shows that you’re eager about the opportunity and interested to share your enthusiasm. This could lead to a chance to grab lunch or coffee after befriending a coworker. Their knowledge of the environment will be an advantage.
The First Month
At this point, you should be settling into your new role. Now is a good time to begin organizing tasks and determining how to perform them efficiently.
After the first month, your coworkers and managers are likely becoming more comfortable with you also and may offer more constructive criticism than before. It’s important to use this as a chance to grow rather than get offended. Being humble and open-minded can help you transition into the new setting faster.
The First 90 Days
After the first few months, you should have a good grasp on the responsibilities surrounding your new role. Be proactive in setting ambitious goals and create a strategy for reaching them.
Once these obligations become comfortable, step up the level of difficulty to challenge yourself.
This is also a good time to establish boundaries. In your first few months, you may feel obligated to take on more work, but after learning what you can handle, it’s OK to say no if it will impact your performance negatively.
Try to touch base with previous professors and classmates once you settle in to the new position. Keeping your professional network in tact is an important part of any career.
