5 Tips to Jumpstart Your Job Search
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Posted By: Lisa Holmes on May 19, 2019 5 Tips to Jumpstart Your Job Search Whether you put on your cap and gown on last week or last century, the job search can be stressful and filled with uncertainty. These 5 Tips to Jumpstart Your Job Search can give some insight and guidance to successfully navigating the process. Tip #1 Practice Mental Agility Each day, you will spend numerous hours combing through job boards, submitting resume’s and engaging in multiple types of interviews. For most, the stress can be overwhelming. First, understand that the search is a process. You can’t get to the end and securing your desired role without going through it. Understand the more mentally agile that you are the more potential solutions to your search can be uncovered. Remember to make time for things that keep you centered and relieve stress i.e. exercise, watching movies or going out to dinner with friends. It will help you keep things in the right perspective, better accept change and have the right expectation in the search. Tip #2 Don’t Hide, Get Connected Nowadays, LinkedIn is the best place for professionals to meet online. Recruiters and Hiring Managers will view your profile almost like your resume. So, make a stellar impression by having a professional image, I repeat, professional, clear image. And, accurate employment history. If this is your first job, ensure that you include any leadership roles held and successes you experienced in them. Make sure to have the “open to recruiters connection” feature on in your profile to let them know its okay to make contact with you. Tip #3 Have a Vision for Your Next Job I highly advise that you take a pause and not charge right into applying for any and everything that comes your way. If you don’t have an idea of what you’re looking for, how will you know it when you see it? Think deeply about the types of roles and organizations that connect with your passion and purpose. Tip #4 Establish a List of Desired Employers Most often, employers won’t post their open positions on LinkedIn, Career Builder and others. This is where you must become resourceful. Research and create a list of organizations that feed your passion, purpose and career goals. Learn everything that you can about their culture, financials, current and upcoming projects. Then, review their career board and set yourself up to be alerted as new roles of interest are posted. Use LinkedIn to connect with potential peers and leadership inside the company. Tip #5 Get Out and Mingle Professional associations will allow prospective new members to attend a meeting for free or at a small cost. Most folks tend to shy away from networking or Meet Ups because they are unsure about how to approach strangers and what you say to break the ice. A good start is to ask “What brought you out to the meeting?’ or share that you are a recent college graduate looking to build your network. These kinds of events are a great way to get as close to potential employers and decision makers as possible. Contributor: Lisa A. Holmes, MSHR is a HR Expert, Author and Chief Business Strategist of Strategic Performance of Los Angeles. She helps organizations gain a competitive edge, increase their revenue, customer experience and drive efficiency through maximizing human capital, aligning resources, leadership coaching and development and deploying best in class HR strategies to meet its goals. In early 2019, she leveraged her expertise and released a comprehensive career book, Job Hunting. NOW What?: Keeping It Real in the Modern Career Search. The book takes readers through the emotional journey experienced in a job search, understanding the recruiting process, preparing to win in a highly competitive job interview process and securing a place in the ever-changing economy. And, many HR insider tips. Sold on Amazon, Chapters, Barnes and Noble and independent booksellers nationwide. She’s been mentioned in Money Magazine, Career Builder, Reader's Digest, Clutch and other publications. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Lisa Holmes
Chief Business Strategist, Strategic Performance of Los Angeles - College Not Listed - class of 2003 Member Since April 2019 |
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