Job Search 101 - Create an Attack Plan

Looking for a job can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like it is just too hard, there is too much to do and when you aren't getting responses as quickly as you like, it is easy to lose hope and start to become frustrated.

They say that to make a task easier, you have to break it down into small steps. So, let's keep breaking down the job search steps, to make sure that you have all of your bases covered:

• Create an attack plan – You wouldn't just pick stocks or investments at random, so don't trust your job search to random luck and good timing. Do some research about your industry and find out where the growth is. Take a hard look at the number of jobs available in your field and see where your next step is. Maybe you need to get a certificate or some additional training to open up new avenues?
  
  
  Sit down and ask yourself some of these hard questions: What jobs are available that fit your skills and training? What companies are the leaders in this field in your area? How would you find out about any of their job openings? Are you willing to re-locate for a job? Would you be willing to take a position that was a step down from your previous one? Can you accept a lower salary? Is there any additional training that can be had that would increase your job opportunities? Answering these questions will help give you a more defined idea of what position you should be looking for.
  
  
  Next, you need to take a look at your financial situation. How much available credit do you have? What would you have to do to get more? What are your assets? What is your monthly budget, and how much can you cut out of it? How much money do you need to cover your basic expenses for a month? How long can you afford to be out of work? These question will let you know how much you are going to have to compromise in order to find the right job. It may mean that you will need to look for a part time job in order to continue your job search. Or maybe, you might have to think more seriously about taking a lesser paying job. But, by asking the question and finding the answers ahead of time, you can get a clear picture and not let fear push you into making bad decisions.
  
  
  Once you have a clear idea of where you want to go next in your career and how long you have to get there, you should start thinking about your networking strategy. Are there any professional organizations you could join to meet people in the industry? Who do you know that works for a company you want to work for? Could you ask them for a warm introduction? Do you know others in your area or field who are also out of work? Would they be interested in sharing job leads with you? Think about where and how you can get out and network with other professionals. Networking is one of the best ways to find out about new jobs and just to stay current on what is going on with your industry.

Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Job Search 101 - Tune Up Your Resume

There's no doubt about it, looking for a job is stressful. In fact, many people can quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the process and as a result, they put off doing the things that they know they should be doing in order to find a new position. For many people, feeling like a task is too complicated mixed with a simple fear of failure, causes them to procrastinate and not be as effective as they could be.

The easiest way to overcome those feelings is to break down the large task and turn it into a series of small steps. The steps themselves are much easier to accomplish and it is always easier to convince yourself to “just do it”, when the job doesn't feel so big.

To make things a little easier, let's break it down into small steps, so that you can cover your bases:

• Tune-up your resume – It might take a little time, but do what you can to make it clear, concise and easy to understand. If you think that you need a little bit of help in making your resume the best it can be, consider using a resume writing service, like the one offered at Beyond.com. Or, if you are more of a do-it-yourself sort of person, read some of our past blogs filled with resume tips.
  
  
  Make your resume the best document you possibly can. This may mean writing and editing it, then putting it away for a day or two, then coming back to it with fresh eyes. This document is going to be your first impression and you best shot at getting an interview. Once you have your resume fine-tuned and you are happy with the information it contains, you aren't quite done yet. Using your resume as a guide, you need to create an internet friendly copy to be posted online to job boards and your Linkedin profile.
  
  
  The main things you want to change in order to make your resume ready for the internet is to remove your personal information. Your full physical address, your phone number and even the contact information of your previous employers should be removed. If you have been in the workforce for a long time, you will probably want to trim down your previous work experience to just the past 3 or 4 most relevant jobs.Think of your online resume as an advertisement.
  
  
  When companies search through the posted resumes, they are looking for qualified candidates to find out more about. Typically, an interested company will look at your posted resume, and if they are interested, they will ask you for a copy of your actual resume. Even though you want to be accessible to companies who are searching for new applicants, you don't want to have your personal information out there where it is easy for people with bad intentions to get to it.
  
  
  Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.
  
  
  Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com
  
  
  By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
  
  

How to End Procrastination Forever

Procrastinating is a common problem for many people – including people searching for a job. Procrastination, itself, can be defined as the act of habitually delaying a task in a foolhardy manner. Usually procrastination involves distracting yourself with another activity that can include surfing the internet, cleaning, sleeping, playing computer games, or other activity. Additionally, in your mind, you can often justify your procrastination delay tactics.

How do you go about overcoming procrastination issues though?

The first step to work towards overcoming this problem is to realize that you do in fact have a problem with procrastination. For instance, if you delay a task, it may not necessarily mean that you have a problem with procrastination. It is only when the problem becomes chronic – and you are consistently delaying that job search for example, that it means that procrastination has taken hold.

Once you do realize that you do suffer from procrastination, there are some practical yet simple strategies that you can follow. The first thing that you should do is realize that you will not have favorable feelings when you think about your job search or other tasks that you are delaying. By anticipating your negative feelings, you then will not feel overwhelmed when you do try to complete your postponed tasks.

Next, you should “make yourself” work on your task for a short time - say twenty minutes. By completing this task, you are allowing yourself to actually start on a project - which is more than half the battle when it comes to procrastination. Further, once you begin a task, your perception of the task usually changes and you are able to complete more than twenty minutes of work. That said, even if you only work on the project for the predetermined twenty minutes, completing this amount of work should boost your confidence levels. In turn, you tend not to procrastinate when you are confident in your abilities.

That said, you should also try to determine the reason behind your procrastination. For instance, some people procrastinate because they are perfectionists, because they fear failure, because they are constant worriers, because they have impulsive personalities and so on. Once you understand the root cause of your procrastination issues, you can determine the appropriate solution to combat these problems. For instance, if you have an impulsive personality and thus, you get distracted easily, you can adopt mechanisms that work to minimise these distractions (such as turning off your cell phone, shutting your office door, not checking your email and so on).

Above all though, as most people are troubled by their procrastination, you should “be easy on yourself” – and take the necessary steps to overcome procrastination issues.

Ready to supercharge your job search? Visit PhillyJobs.com.

Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites, magazines, and businesses.