How to Crash-Proof Your Job Search
Crashing your job search or computer hard drive equals the same results; loss of effectiveness, sanity, and ultimately loss of money.
(PRWEB) July 7, 2005 -- How much is your time worth? Think you have the
speed, endurance, and know-how to fix what’s broken? Bet not. The smartest
people in the world are those who can leave their ego at the door, and know when
it's wise to seek help.
Since crashes are usually preventable, when is it
a good time to seek professional assistance…before or after the disaster?
Talk to local firehouse or police headquarters and they’ll chant the
mantra, “Prevention rules.” Smarter to avert the fire or crime, rather than
fight it later. It costs much more after-the-fact. Same goes for your job
search.
- Gain better, faster exposure to opportunity and decision
makers by setting a career search foundation that’s heavy on target
marketing.
- Provide personalized solutions to employer needs and you’ll free
yourself from the arduous process of blasting resumes blindfolded or performing
cold-call networking to strangers.
- Architect a master design to get there
before you make your move instead of working it out on the fly, and you’ll be
prepared for any contingency.
Jo Ann Ridge, Vice President of the
e-Commerce Group for R.L. Stevens & Associates Inc., www.interviewing.com, a
24-year old international career marketing firm headquartered in Waltham,
Massachusetts, who recently celebrated her 19th year with the organization says,
“Most people don’t realize that their career affects every aspect of their
lives.” She asked one attorney if he ever had a bad day at work and he responded
that he’s had a “bad day” for the past five months. Yikes.
There are five
key reasons why workers won’t seek answers sooner and resist outside help. All
are threaded with personal pride and paralysis of analysis:
- “I took the
wrong career path at the beginning, and now I feel stuck”
- “I failed to see
the writing on the wall, and thought my job role was safe”
- “If I make a
change now, I’m afraid I’ll lose and end up in worse shape”
- “I don’t have
the time to locate the best opportunities that fit me”
- “I’m financially
leveraged to the hilt, and need a certain salary to keep afloat”
Sound
like something you’ve said recently? If so, you’re guaranteeing a job search
crash because your lopsided motivations are like a bad virus. It’ll rapidly
infect the core operating system of your drive to succeed.
“The race to
surpass your competition is won at the starting gate not at the finish line. You
need to know exactly where you’re going, how to get there, and what to do when
your win appears to be a long-shot,” says Ridge, a horse enthusiast whose office
in Louisville, Kentucky is a sprint from Churchill Downs, the premier
Thoroughbred racetrack known as the Home of the Kentucky Derby.
The
quest to locate a great career is no longer the smooth ride you envision. Lots
of bumps and unexpected curves in today’s overcrowded job market. Think you can
take the reins solo and gallop in the right direction and do so at a pace that
reflects your sense of urgency? Get real. That mindset is about as reckless as
constantly rebooting your computer every time it freezes. You’re not tackling
the root cause. Professional intervention rescues your time, your emotional
stability, and yeah, your productivity.
Ridge gives her top three career
queries to steer your need for professional job search assistance:
- When
was the last time you awoke and were excited about going to work?
- When was
the last time your career reflected purpose and passion?
- How has the stress
of career change negatively altered your personality and your business and
personal relationships?
“Finding a job is easy. Landing a great
meaningful career is a whole lot harder,” Ridge warns. “It’s a lot like deciding
you want to get your body in shape. You have two choices. You can buy a book or
video and get an outcome similar to nailing Jell-O to a wall. Or you can make
the smart choice to invest in yourself, bring in some accountability and head to
the gym,” she adds.
Outsourcing core aspects of your job search is simply
brilliant strategy by design. It can be the difference of a job by chance, or a
career by choice.
About the Author:
Marta L. Driesslein is a senior
management consultant for R.L. Stevens & Associates Inc.
About R.L.
Stevens & Associates, Inc.:
For over 24 years R.L. Stevens &
Associates has been the Nation’s most successful privately-held firm,
specializing in executive career searches generating quality interviews through
both advertised and unadvertised channels. For more information, please visit
our website: http://www.interviewing.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb258708.htm