What are the major pieces of a life-changing job hunt? How can you answer God's call to take what you really love to do and match that desire with something the world is crying out for?
The first step is focus. Don't say "I'll take anything." And even if you have to in this job market, don't get trapped into thinking you must stay there forever. Do the digging and identify your ideal jobs, companies and fields. Identify your skills, especially the ones that can transfer from one field to another.
This means you'll need to do research. Use "What Color Is Your Parachute" to help you find out your likes, and just as importantly, your dislikes. For instance, I got to tour the offices of a major Christian publishing company. On paper, it's the ideal job for me. But when I looked around I saw nothing but cubicles. I HATE cubicles. Would I be able to thrive there? Probably not.
Ask for the help of others by forming a network. Sit down and come up with 200 names for your network. That sounds like a lot, but these don't have to be 200 good buddies. They can be anyone in your family, people who you work with, people who you used to work with, people you went to school with, teachers, pastors, and so on.
The network should also include people you don't know. I have made hay with a tool called "the informational interview." Call someone at a company you would be interested in working for, or someone doing the same kind of job you are interested in. Ask them for a 30-minute phone interview. Better yet, take them to lunch. The idea is not to get a job. The idea is to get information about what that job or company is really like. You also want to make a good impression so your name will pop up the next time there's a job opening at that company.
We all know about interviews, resumes, and cover letters. They are all vital pieces of the puzzle. First, you need to put in the research work and get the razor-edged focus to help you nail each of those pieces -- especially the interview.
What are the major pieces of a life-changing job hunt? How can you answer God's call to take what you really love to do and match that desire with something the world is crying out for?
The first step is focus. Don't say "I'll take anything." And even if you have to in this job market, don't get trapped into thinking you must stay there forever. Do the digging and identify your ideal jobs, companies and fields. Identify your skills, especially the ones that can transfer from one field to another.
This means you'll need to do research. Use "What Color Is Your Parachute" to help you find out your likes, and just as importantly, your dislikes. For instance, I got to tour the offices of a major Christian publishing company. On paper, it's the ideal job for me. But when I looked around I saw nothing but cubicles. I HATE cubicles. Would I be able to thrive there? Probably not.
Ask for the help of others by forming a network. Sit down and come up with 200 names for your network. That sounds like a lot, but these don't have to be 200 good buddies. They can be anyone in your family, people who you work with, people who you used to work with, people you went to school with, teachers, pastors, and so on.
The network should also include people you don't know. I have made hay with a tool called "the informational interview." Call someone at a company you would be interested in working for, or someone doing the same kind of job you are interested in. Ask them for a 30-minute phone interview. Better yet, take them to lunch. The idea is not to get a job. The idea is to get information about what that job or company is really like. You also want to make a good impression so your name will pop up the next time there's a job opening at that company.
We all know about interviews, resumes, and cover letters. They are all vital pieces of the puzzle. First, you need to put in the research work and get the razor-edged focus to help you nail each of those pieces -- especially the interview.
Next time: Seven stories