Job satisfaction

                                                                                         

Job satisfaction is one of our most important goals in life, but one we often fail to pursue. It’s not always easy to secure the right sort of employment: for many of us, the hunt for the ideal career can be really challenging. But a few easy steps can give you the confidence, focus and job savvy to reach that all important goal.

The first of two major challenges most of us face as we plan or take steps to advance our careers is finding the ideal career – or one that’s not perfect, but provides some of the perks most important to each of us, such as income, great colleagues, sense of meaning, challenge, travel (or not), tuition assistance for further education or support for work and family balance.

The second major challenge is positioning ourselves to get a job as close as possible to our ideals, or one that leads us toward them. An effective job search requires proper planning, good information and well-developed job hunting skills.

Be aware!

Don’t launch yourself into the hunt for a new job without first asking these basic questions:

1. Am I aware of my career goals?

2. Am I aware of my most marketable skills?

3. Do I understand the job market as it relates to my career goals?

4. Am I fully prepared to look for a job in an organized and targeted manner?

In other words – you need to be aware of what you are about to do!

Charging enthusiastically at the task of finding a job is great, but if you do so without forward planning, you may end up disappointed and frustrated. And then you risk giving up your search in disgust! So consider the questions listed above very carefully before you embark on your search:

The two key ingredients to ensure a successful search – attitude and organization.

A positive, confident attitude is your most important asset throughout a job search, but can be hard to retain in the process. The second key ingredient, organization, is easy and will help with your self confidence. If you own a computer, set up a job search file, with one or more CVs, and copies of all your research and everything you send to every employer. Hard copies should be filed by company.

Assess your skills, abilities, goals and dreams – and the job market for your skills.

If you love your work and want to advance or change employers and you are in a field that is growing or stable, the path is pretty straight.

If not, this is a great time to explore, especially if you are employed – it’s always wise to search for jobs while employed. It can be draining, but will enhance your job search.

Take a good look at your achievements and skills. Many people are too modest about their talents – don’t be!

Make a quick list (you’ll refine it when you get to your CV) of your:

1. work skills
2. specific accomplishments
3. specialized knowledge, such IT programs and systems used in your field such as inventory, payroll, etc
4. education
5. voluntary work
6. interests
7. values
8. career objectives
9. dreams

Skills
These are the abilities you bring to a particular aspect of your job and are one of your chief selling points when you apply for another position. Some of the skills you will have learned formally; others will have developed with experience.

Accomplishments
Think about the projects you have successfully implemented targets you have met, training and supervision you have provided to develop others’ skills, etc. Employers are impressed by someone who has achieved things!

For example:

1. What did you do to help make money for your organization?
2. How did you help save the organization money?
3. What did you do to solve a particular problem?
4. Did you win any awards?
5. Were you promoted?
6. Did you complete any special projects?
7. Are there any positive quotes you can use from your performance reviews?

Education
We have already talked about your skills; now write down your learning experiences with work-related information and systems such as management theories, aspects of the law, administrative procedures and computer programmes, as well as your school credentials.

Voluntary Work
Employers like to know about what you have learned while engaged in any voluntary work. In some cases, voluntary work provides solid skills you can apply to a job.

Interests
Be prepared for possible interview questions about personal interests.

Values
Try to be clear about what your values are and then apply these to the type of work you are seeking. You want to be certain that a job will match your values and make you happy!

Career objectives
One of an interviewer’s favourite questions is “Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” Make sure you have a good idea of what you want to be doing five, ten and twenty years from now.

Dreams
Always keep your dreams handy so you can pursue steps toward them at every opportunity, plus a job change is a good time to think about following a dream.

When you review what you have written, you will be able to identify the skills that you can offer a prospective employer. And a list of your most marketable skills will boost your confidence and prepare you for success!

Conduct a targeted search.

The more you target your search toward specific jobs and employers, the more successful your job search will be. Few things are more ineffective in a job search than appearing to apply for “just any job.” It implies that you are not professional or don’t offer successful talent, skills and experience. In addition, industry experts have shown time and again that the job hunters who know what they want, and who conduct a targeted search, are those who have the highest rate of success in finding their ideal position. Do not be vague about the type of job that you are looking for! Even if you are fortunate enough to be offered interviews, employers will soon establish that you lack the focus and drive that they are demanding. Targeting is even more important if you are thinking of changing your industry, kind of job or location, because you will move out of your “known zone.”

The importance of professional help

In today’s competitive job market, you need expert, custom-designed job search support materials to land your dream job. Job hunting can be a lonely business – and a dispiriting one! Many people fail because they do not realise the importance of professional help.


Handling rejection

Very occasionally, you may waltz from your first interview into a job you love. Unfortunately, you will also experience setbacks. This is not unusual – on the contrary, it’s normal. It may be a saving grace when you are tempted to jump at a job that’s less than you want and can get, or that you wouldn’t enjoy. Keep turndowns positive, and treat each rejection as a learning experience; obtain useful feedback (never hesitate to ask an employer what would have made you a stronger candidate); and thereby identify mistakes, you will improve – and you will succeed! Be sure to keep records of this information, too.

We also advise celebrating the “almosts.” Some people see them as an encouraging sign that they make a good impression on employers, and find that there happened to be a totally outstanding candidate almost made for a particular job. There may have been an inside candidate, or the employer might just prefer a different personality or skill set than yours, which probably indicates a job you wouldn’t have been happy with for long. And sometimes employers just make dumb decisions!

Realizing that you were a strong candidate, but didn’t get that particular job, is a big help in maintaining your energy and self-confidence. This is also a great time to treat yourself to something you enjoy – just don’t spend mega-pounds at this point, especially if you are already between jobs. You may discover some wonderful new interests.

Establish a timeline

Decide how long you are going to give yourself to find a new job. Establish a timeline that allows you to prepare your campaign, begin the application process, and meet your goal. You’ll find that when you place deadlines on your job search, you will push yourself harder to succeed! Should you reach the end of your timeline that just means you need a bit more time – set a new timeline to keep up your energy.

Start looking at job postings as early as possible in your job search. It can give you an idea of opportunities at specific companies, and help you spot companies with unusually high turnover rates, which may indicate a company you want to avoid unless it can offer valuable experience or training toward future advancement in your career field.

The importance of professional help

In today’s competitive job market, you need expert, custom-designed job search support materials to land your dream job.
Job hunting can be a lonely business – and a dispiriting one! Many people fail because they do not realise the importance of professional help! We provide this help and replace the sense of bewilderment and frustration with a positive and uplifting attitude!

Keep records!

It’s a bind, we know, but do keep a record of your job search campaign! You don’t need to write reams of notes – just the salient points about adverts, recruitment agencies, applications, networking feedback and employers. Before long, you will have a batch of information that will help you sharpen your approach and improve the prospects of landing a new position.

Stay focused

Remain positive and persistent, and keep up your records.

It’s a bind, we know, but do keep a record of your job search. You don’t need to write reams of notes – just the salient points about adverts, recruitment agencies, applications, networking feedback and employers. Before long, you will have a batch of information that will help you sharpen your approach and improve the prospects of landing a new position. If you do online applications, either save them into a Word document or print them out on paper. There’s nothing worse than not being sure of the key skills you listed.

Toward your success!

We’ve said it elsewhere and we’ll say it again: looking for a job is hard work! You must be focused, persistent and well-organised.


We toast you and your future success, and the next employer who is lucky enough to employ you!

About the author:
Train4Work.biz offers practical advice to help aspiring individuals develop a successful career. For more career related articles visit our site http://www.train4work.biz

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com