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The economy continues to leave thousands of Washingtonians either between jobs or seriously underemployed. If you are in this boat, I offer 10 resolutions for having career success this year. I have borrowed from the good advice of my friend Richard Bolles of “What Color is Your Parachute?” fame.
Remember, it will take a focused strategy to get back onto a satisfactory career track.
#1 Never Give Up
The good news is that you are in charge of finding a new position. The key is to remain proactive both to increase your odds of finding the right fit and to maintain your hope. Hope is the key motivator for continuing the activities that will keep you moving forward.
#2 Remember That Jobs Are Available
In January of 2009, 4.3 million jobs were filled and 3 million jobs went unfilled. The DC area is especially well suited for searching now because the recently passed Federal Agency budgets contain stimulus funds that need to be spent between now and September 2010. That means literally thousands and thousands of job vacancies will be posted on USAJobs.gov. 31,000 jobs are available today. Uncle Sam has a number of job application hurdles but the effort is worthwhile. There are good benefits and a much higher chance that your employment will be stable once you are in the door.
#3 Patience is Still a Virtue
On average it takes most job seekers 21 weeks to find the right spot. Getting started now and staying committed to the process are key success factors.
#4 Take Control of What You Can Control
Waiting for others to respond to your advances on the job front is one of the most frustrating parts of the job search, and whether or how they respond is out of your control. Try to focus on what you do have conrol over. Is it time to diet? Learn a new skill? In any event, you do have control over the way you dress. Dress up. You will feel better and look better to people who you run into that can be helpful.
#5 Catch Up On Your Sleep
We are all to varying degrees sleep deprived. Job-hunting takes stamina, and sleep and exercise are two quick ways to increase your strength of mind and body. To the extent possible, take a twenty-minute nap after lunch. 37% of adult Americans nap and three naps a week can reduce your risk of heart disease. And it’s well known that regular exercise will not only make you healthier, it will relieve stress.
#6 Join a Job Club
Looking for work can be isolating and lonely. Joining a group of job seekers can bring accountability and help as more people report their findings from interviews that may be of interest to you. Meet at least weekly. I recently spoke to the 40+ chapter of DC and they are a very professional job seeker outfit with very modest costs. You can find them on 40plus-dc.org.
#7 Get Clear About What You Want To Do
Being able to answer the question “what are you looking for” will make it much easier for people to steer you in the right direction. The more precise your answer, the more the help is likely to be useful. If you need some help just go to capitalcommunitynews.com and look for my articles about finding the “Ideal Job.”
#8 Understand the New Resume
In the olden days what an employer knew about you was pretty much limited to the piece of paper called a C.V. or resume. Now anything about you on the Internet can be found in an instant. Google yourself and see what comes up. Make whatever corrections you need to portray yourself in a flattering light. Check all the social networks like Facebook to make sure that the picture of you at last Saturday’s party doesn’t undermine your need to look like a serious job candidate.
#9 Work Hard At Your Job Search
Get into a proactive pattern. One approach is to do your letter writing from 9 am until noon and then get out of the house to see people in the afternoon. You will feel better, learn more and make more face-to-face contacts if you establish a disciplined pattern. Treat your job search like a job, even if you are employed now, and you will feel more in control and more hopeful.
#10 Be Careful About What You Believe
You are in complete control of the beliefs that you attach to your job search. Acting with the belief that a “miracle is just around the corner” is much more enlivening than “good things probably won’t happen for me because ….” No one can really forecast when your new job will show up, so you might as well tell yourself a story that keeps you moving forward.
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