Chances are good that you are one of the millions of people who watched the Super Bowl yesterday. Whether you tuned in to cheer on the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers, to watch the latest Super Bowl commercials, or to listen to Coldplay perform live, I hope you had a great time!
As you can imagine, getting to the Super Bowl isn’t easy for anyone! The football players have been practicing their entire lives for this moment. The advertisers work hard to perfect their spots, and the musicians have spent years performing together.
Ending up at something like the Super Bowl is rarely an accident, unless perhaps you’re a really lucky fan. And, even that seems unlikely.
For the players, it takes planning, practice, and years of endurance. It takes strategy. It takes not giving up. It’s not just their job; it’s their career.
Are you happy with you career? Is there an overarching strategy that drives you toward the end of the field? If your strategy is lacking, there’s a good chance you aren’t terribly happy with your job, or you may be frustrated with your job search.
When you’re thinking of strategy, there are a few key things to keep in mind. The first is presentation. Although perfection is not expected, you should avoid embarking on a big job search until you’ve polished your presentation.
Presentation includes your resume. It includes your LinkedIn, and your business cards. It even includes what you might wear to an interview. If you don’t have at least one suit in your closet, what will you do when someone calls you for an interview? And, what about those times when a friend asks you to e-mail them a copy of your resume — but you don’t have one?
After putting your presentation together, it’s all about execution — and not giving up!
It’s very common in today’s internet age to only look for jobs online. Unfortunately, this method rarely works well. It’s funny considering it’s the #1 method recommended by many companies and HR professionals.
With that in mind, focus on your offline game. What will you do to get around the online process? Who do you know in real life that might help you? What events can you attend to meet new people? Who can you start to check in with regularly, to stay on their radar?
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, turn those activities into goals. For example, do you want to go to one networking event per week? Do you have time to send one e-mail per day to stay in touch with special colleagues?
In short, get a game plan check list together. Include things like:
- Update my personal goals
- Revise my resume
- Refresh my LinkedIn
- Ensure I have one nice suit available that fits
- Practice my elevator pitch
- Research & attend networking events
- Stay in touch with colleagues via e-mail and phone
When you’ve taken the time to reflect on what you want, and you have the courage to go after it, that’s when your goals start to be fulfilled. You’ll find yourself in a better job, feeling happier and more positive.
As you can see, the key to job search success is to come up with your own personal game plan.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
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