Kazira

Following up on Part I of the “Effective Job Hunting” series, I will now elaborate on each one of the 7 habits of effective job hunting.

1. Work Smart, Not Hard – When it comes to getting that first break in your career, you’ve got to make full use of the tools readily available to you. If you need to research something, use the Internet. No need to go buy a book on something when you can dig up truck-loads of useful information by doing some simple searches on Google. Whether you are researching on a company or an interview technique or effective communications, I can guarantee to you that you will find good, quality information on the web. Another example that comes to mind is on the topic of resume-crafting. There is absolutely no need to re-invent the wheel or to do things from scratch when generations before you have already invested significant hours designing various resume styles and templates. Once again, search the web and you will find something that will suit your taste. For references and recommendations, no need to go looking for a CEO or Department Head just because it will make you look good in front of the prospective employer. For one, you are going to spend a lot of time trying to track down those folks and more importantly, hiring/recruiting personnel prefer references from folks who have observed you directly (like your supervisor, advisor, or manager).

2. Have a focused approach – You need to have a destination else you are going to be all over the map. Spend time thinking about where you want your career to go, which industry/company is going to give you the ideal launching pad, where can you make the most meaningful contribution, what environment will best suit your intellectual and learning capabilities, etc. Once you have thought through these and more, have a discussion with somebody your trust (maybe your Dad, college professor, research advisor, etc.) and bounce your thoughts/ideas with them. This will help narrow down your job search to a smaller, but targeted area and also improve your odds of success in securing the right job as well as succeeding on the job. Some people think that this is a numbers game – the more opportunities you chase, the better your chances of grabbing one. Well, you only end up stretching yourself thin by taking that approach. Let me use the magnifying glass analogy. In order to magnify something and be able to see it clearly, you need to hold the glass at a certain distance from the object. Any less or more, the visual gets blurry, meaning that you loose the focus. Your approach needs to be at the right level so as to stay focused in helping you meet your objectives.

3. Think quality, not quantity – Make sure that everything that you do in regards to the job search is nothing short of top quality. If that means reducing your search “scope” (i.e. applying to fewer opportunities), so be it. This includes your communication skills (verbal and written), your attire, your resume, your references, and your follow-ups. Always put your best foot forward, never do anything “half-ass”. A lot of the opportunities for new college graduates are very competitive and employers are looking for the “best bang for their buck” - they want the best talent that is out there. So, it is in your best interest to be on top of every aspect of your job search and ensure that your personal brand comes out in full force in front of the prospective employer(s).

4. Prepare/present a “package” deal – Times have changed and now every organization wants to run a lean/mean shop. What this means is that they want you to posses the skills and knowledge of 3 or 4 people combined. Lets take an example of the IT consulting world. You should be able to be a business analyst as well as a data analyst as well as a project coordinator. And I almost forgot - I need you to be able to do some technical writing as well while you are on the bench. Well, that sounds like 4 different people to me but in the new, knowledge economy, all those functions can typically be performed by the same person (assuming they have the bandwidth to do all that, obviously!). The point I am trying to make here is that it’s in your best interest to present yourself as a “jack of all and master of some”. That way, you come across as being more valuable and flexible to the organization. This also helps you differentiate yourself from the crowd and move you up amongst the “draft picks”.

Ok, so I had said that I would elaborate on each one of the 7 habits but I am running out of time here. So let me wrap this post here with a promise that I will be back shortly with my detailed insights into the final 3 habits (i.e. Effective Job Hunting – Part III). As always, let us know what you think of the topics we are covering and anything else you would like us to discuss.