6 Job Search Mistakes In A Recession
Job hunting in a favorable economic climate is not something that most people look forward too, but during a recession searching for a job can be down right scary. And with the number of people out looking for gainful employment increasing, it seems that the task of finding a good job is growing even more challenging.
Notwithstanding, the strategies and techniques for finding and obtaining employment remain the same in any climate. However, in a weak job market, the process is likely to take longer and require more dedication. This often leads to increased financial, physical, emotional and family stress.
Most individuals do not perform at their best when under constant stress. tThey tend to tire more quickly, they get frustrated and loose patience, and they make mistakes. The following are the six most common job-hunting mistakes made during a recession.
Mistake No. 1: Feeling entitled
In today's new economy, you can't live off your past successes, great track record, stellar education or glowing references. If you want to succeed today, you must be a performer. You must be able to prove yourself day in and day out to your employer. You must contantly be updating your knowledge and developing your skills and talents. If you feel that you are entitled to be provided for or that you're entitled to a position you're likely to fired, replaced, or left behind.
Mistake No. 2: Focusing on yourself, not the employer
Instead of spending your time focusing on how brilliant you are, the degree you earned, your needs, or your pedigree line, you must focus on finding out what an employer's needs are and then communicating how you can help an employer meet these needs. Discovering what an employer's needs are will demonstrate your sincere interest in working for their company, and offering solutions for these needs demonstrates your critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Employers want to hire problem solvers. Show an employers you're a problem solver and you'll get hired.
Mistake No. 3: Taking rejection personally
No matter how brilliant you are, the reality is that you're simply not going to stand out as the perfect candidate for every job you apply to. Don't take it personally, this is just part of the job search process -- and more so during a recession. Instead of developing a chip on your shoulder, take rejection as an opportunity for introspection and evaluation of what you could have done better to present yourself as the best candidate for the job.
Mistake No. 4: Focusing on your age
Don't focus on your age while searching for a job. Age is rarely an indicator of someone's ability, aptitude or even experience. New college graduates and younger professionals tend to worry about not having enough experience whilder older folks worry about looking overqualified for a position. Instead of focusing on your age, focus communicating to potential employers why you are the best candidate for the job. Focus on what strengths you bring to the table: track record, ability, experience, endurance, energy, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, people skills, work ethic, etc.
Mistake No. 5: Looking for a silver bullet
Some job seekeres swear that the best way to find a job is by using a professional recruiter. Others say to focus your efforts on online job postings. And even others purport that social networking sites are making other forms of job searching obsolete. So what is the most effective job searching strategy? There isn't one. The best job searching strategy is to pursue all strategies that can help you find a job.
If you want to have a successful job search experience then we recommend (1) dedicating as much time as possible to job searching and (2) using every trick in the book. This means responding to online job postings, answering print ads, cold-contacting potential employers, working with recruiters, using social networking sites and most importantly networking. There are no silver bullets when it comes to finding a job.
Mistake No. 6: Absorbing too much news
If you watch the news much you may have come to the conclusion that during a recession it's impossible to find a good job. While it does require more time and effort to land a good job during a recession, it's far from impossible. Don't waste precious time or brain power thinking that the sky is falling in -- and don't let the news get you down. Get out of house, keep an upbeat attitude, keep your spirits up, network with optimistic people, and hit the road hard and you'll land a job before you know it.
The world has seen many recessions and the world will see many more. Finding a job is not dependant on the economy, it is dependant on you!
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