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Thirteen Months, 123 Resumes, 3 Interviews (Part 3)
There are two things you can control during your job search: your emotions and your strategy.
In the last postings, we looked at ways to keep your head in the game when the rules don’t seem fair, and how to move through the highs and lows of looking for a job.
Now let’s consider a few strategic moves that are most likely to get you that interview.
1. Create your strategy. This requires putting your plan on paper. It’s easy to keep ideas in our head. But it’s difficult to put those thoughts into action without first writing them down. Putting those ideas on paper gives them clarity and power. You may find My Weekly Plan for Success to be a helpful tool in creating your strategy.
2. Review your strategy. If you aren’t getting call-backs or interviews, then do something different. How are you spending your time? Be honest. Are you really spending 4-5 hours each day setting appointments and talking to people? Or are those 4-5 hours spent leaving messages and updating your database? If your strategy isn’t working, create a new strategy.
3. Review your resume. To get the interview, you need to be noticed. Two ways to do this: through a networking connection or a really sharp resume. So take another look at your resume. I know. I can hear your moans. You are SOOO over your resume, right? Then ask someone else to look at it. Ideally, a professional. Someone with expertise—an HR professional, recruiter, industry expert. Get a fresh perspective. (A good question to ask: is your resume documenting your work history or selling your accomplishments?)
You may have seen Career Builders’ blog, TheWorkBuzz.com. Check it out for some more helpful ideas on making sure your resume stands out.
Your emotions and your strategy. Two critical components of your job search. And two things you can control.
