Your Job Search Goals

Are you looking for work? What is your current situation? Were you one of the thousands laid off over the last year and currently out of work? Or are you stuck in a rut thinking about a career change? Whatever your current situation setting SMART goals for a job search will help you find a new position.

How many times do I ask someone what type of job they are looking for and they respond with an "Anything" answer?

Does this seem like a good catch for an employer?

Is this a job seeker that has put forth any effort is painting themselves in a positive light?

This entire week of blog posts about How To Find a Job I have yet to mention any contact with any employer. It's all been prep work for now. Preparing the job seeker's mindset to compete in today s highly competitive job market and today we will talk about setting job search goals. Then we will discuss developing a plan of action to their achievement.

So first and foremost; what type of job are you looking for? What is your experience? What are your qualifications? Make a list of what your expectations are. WRITE IT DOWN! There is something magical about getting thoughts out of your head, through your arm and onto the paper. This gives life to your job search and will assist you tremendously when it comes time to develop your action plan that we will go into tomorrow. (Yes I write EVERY day) Dont even think about the process, just start writing. Dont worry about sounding stupid. YOU will be the only one seeing what you wrote. The important thing here is to brainstorm with yourself. Spend at least 10-15 minutes writing.

This should give you quite a substantial list. Now prioritize your list and condense it down to the top 3 things that are most important to you.

Lots of coaches and consultants use the SMART acronym to explain goal setting. Each one uses a slightly different set of criteria. In this case, S.M.A.R.T. refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed.

Specific: Goals need to be something specific. Most of us have a ‘big picture’ idea of what we want to achieve. We say, for example, “I will find a new job” or “I want to change careers.” That’s not detailed enough. Saying, “I will redo my resume this month” is more precise. Now you have something specific to achieve.

Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, when you’re out of work it’s important to expand your network. But, “making new contacts” is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is “I will attend four networking events each month and connect with one person at each.” Or “I will update my linkedin profile and add one new contact each week.” Those are simple, concrete goals that you can measure at the end of the week.

Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. At one point or another, most of us have been unemployed. Looking for a job, particularly in this economy, isn’t easy. One of the biggest problems, aside from finding a job, is keeping your moral up. Setting achievable short-term goals that move you toward your long-term goal of finding a job will help you from becoming discouraged.
Setting a goal of finding a new job in one month, for example, might not be reasonable. However, applying to at least three companies each week is doable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.

Realistic: Goals need to be realistic. As someone who’s changed careers several times, I know it can be done. Within reason. While we can have a lot, we probably can’t have it all at the same time. It’s important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? What if moving into a new career means going back to school? Can you work full-time and juggle classes in the evening? Be honest.

Time Framed: Goals need to have a time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. If you’re out of work, your savings may dictate your time frame. You may only be able to be unemployed for six months. However, many of us want to change careers or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress.

So your final step would be to set a time frame for your goals attainment. Again, be realistic, taking into consideration the time you perceive it would take from submitting your resume, to the interview, to the hire.

Now look what you have. You have a clear and concise target and a window of time to make your dream a reality.

Tomorrow we develop the action plan. Until then, contact me for a comprehnsive review of your current resume. CLICK HERE to get started.

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