Don't know where to start?
"Can you find me a job?" is usually the first question I get asked when people know I'm a career coach and an ex-recruiter. Well, yes, I can find a job for you, or far better work with you to find a job that is appropriate.
What I find is that the vast majority of people are asking me to help them with their job searching strategy because they don't know where to start. The starting point should be to begin thinking a bit more specifically and I would encourage the job seeker to rephrase the questions as follows:
Skills, strengths & location
Please find me a job that allows me to use my skills but also my strengths, the things I do naturally well.
By identifying your strengths, you will find the areas that naturally motivate and engage you. By using these you will lose yourself in the activity as it strengthens you rather than drains you.
Please find me a job in a location that suits my travelling expectations.
Know your geographical limitations or aspirations for your next role. Simple, but this plays such a large part in our role motivation or satisfaction.
Conditions & environment
Please find me a job in the working conditions that suit me best.
Consider whether these are either in an office, outdoors, in a shop, need constant travelling, need routine, fast paced, target driven, quiet environment, etc. Putting yourself in the right environment will help you thrive.
Please find me a job in the people environment that suits me best.
Consider whether you want to work on your own, as part of a team, have autonomy, want a close manager, customer facing, ‘young’ or ‘traditional’ atmosphere. Again, spotting these will help you settle in the right place.
Interests & values
Please find me a job in an area that interests me.
If you can combine your interests and your role, whether in the activities or in the environment or relevant sector, you will find more fulfilment.
Please find me a job that allows me to work within my value set.
Know your values, your true values by which you lead your life and see how aligned those are to the businesses you are approaching.
Financial rewards
Please find me a job that will give me financial rewards.
Everybody’s financial expectations and motivations are different, so know where you stand in this area, get to know the market and how much you could be expected to earn in a new role. Money is important but it isn’t everything!
Once you have established these fundamentals you will then be far better placed to start on a much more focused and effective job search that will lead to greater fulfilment and motivation.