After striving so hard to secure the job you want , the journey is just starting . Thus , always keep in mind the career-related mistakes to avoid .
Passing on Responsibility .
It’s important that you don’t try and blame others for your job hunting difficulties .
Focus on positive action rather than negative thoughts . Brush pessimism to one side and look to the future .
What’s happened has happened , but by taking control of the current situation and letting your personality shine through , you will overcome this .
Make it your sole focus .
Enjoy family time , eat well and exercise .
Leave the house each day , volunteer , learn new skills , meet people and maintain a balance in your life .
We all need interaction and variety : often the harder you chase something , the more it eludes you .
Take rejection personally .
Unfortunately it’s rare to be offered the first job you apply for – it’s just not that easy .
So accept rejection as part of the process and always ask for , and even more importantly learn from , feedback .
The job you don’t get helps you next time so always push for feedback and act on it .
Search where others are .
Surfing the online job boards is an important first port of call in finding a job , but there are also lots of other places you can explore .
For example , you could look at recommendations , referrals and professional networks as this market can be less competitive .
Make your message clear .
Employers are interested in where you have added value , not everything you’ve ever done .
Make sure they can see the wood from the trees . Think of yourself as a movie trailer and not the whole film – what is it about you that generates enough excitement and interest for an employer to buy a ticket to the main feature ?
Applying for every job you see .
This makes you look desperate and you’ll lose focus . Try to take more time on fewer applications and don’t adopt the scatter gun approach .
Throwing more mud at the wall won’t lead to more success , just more mess .
Nothing puts an employer off more than you not knowing anything about their business or what the role entails and if you have multiple applications out in the field , keeping track of them all becomes an impossible task .
Be afraid to push yourself forward .
This is no time to lurk in the shadows . Don’t be afraid to shine , blow your own trumpet and tell people how good you are and what value you can bring to their business .
Confidence , not arrogance , is the key here – don’t let your skills and experience be the best kept secret .
Forget that times change .
If you’ve not been in the job market for a few years , you might have expectations that are unrealistic .
It’s easy to think that it’s exactly the same as when you last looked for a position , but times have changed .
Take a more enlightened approach and try to gain more understanding of the modern job market and how best to place yourself in it .
Taking your eye off the competition .
Make sure you differentiate yourself from other jobseekers .
Instantly falling in line with what the competition is doing will put you at a distinct disadvantage .
Hiding it from the people in your mind .
Although searching for your next job is a personal experience , don’t try and do it all alone .
Share the experience with your loved ones and you’ll be faster, stronger and more effective in your quest .
