Before starting your job search or accepting a new job, ask these questions to yourself.
Searching a job is not an easy thing. It requires a lot, time, patience and dedication. Searching for a job can be time-consuming and the best way to make the most of your time is to have a focus. Whenever someone starts his/her job search, it feels great and maybe very tempting, but never just jump right in. You may end up taking your job search in wrong direction. So better take some time, think what you want, from where you will get that and how will you achieve your career goals.
Still not sure of what you are really looking for, here are few questions to consider that might help you work it out:
Why am I starting a job search?
This must be the first question you should ask yourself. While you may think it’s an easy one, only if you are a fresher or unemployed. But what if you are employed and want to change your job or just unhappy with what you are doing. Getting to the root of why you’re looking for a job can help you determine whether you’re job searching for the right reasons.
What can I offer to the potential employer?
If you are only showing how you meet the basic requirements of a job and just reeling off a list of positive adjectives, like “hardworking” or “conscientious”, then quite frankly, anyone can do. Instead, you need to show what makes you unique, show some concrete examples at work where you showed the qualities employers look for.
What type of company culture do I want to work within?
Company culture is an important factor one must take into consideration. It’s not all about the job, but also the kind of environment you want to work in. So take some time to reflect on what you are looking for in a workplace. Do you enjoy working for a large organisation or do smaller, more dynamic companies suit you better? Would you sink or swim in a high-pressured, high-stress environment? Would you be bored in a gentler-paced job? Do you want to be customer-facing or working on the inside? All of these are important questions to consider. Once you have these answers, when applying and interviewing for jobs, you’ll have a better idea of what to look out for.
What am I willing to be flexible about?
First consider which elements you think you could be more flexible about in order to get the job you really want and those which you definitely aren’t. It’s great to find things that you love doing, but most jobs won’t be perfect, and you might have to occasionally do things that you don’t enjoy. Salary? Hours? Location? Industry? Job function? Prioritize what’s important to you.
Have I customized my resume and cover letter?
When it comes to your resume and cover letter, it requires a few tweaks for a particular position. Read the job description carefully. How do they define the role and its responsibilities? What kind of language do they use to state the core requirements? If you possess those qualifications, make sure it will be obvious to the reader.
Where do I ultimately want to be in my career?
One of the things that graduates often forget when looking for a job is to consider the bigger picture, and have a long-term plan. Do you want promotion, a better work-life balance or more variation in your work? Thinking about this carefully will allow you to pick and choose the most appropriate roles, for which to apply. It might be that you have an idea of what you want to do. Most of the time, there’s a path to get to your ultimate career goal and this probably means quite a bit of hard work along the way.
