What is the most challenging task in any body’s life? Well, there can be many. One of them is searching for jobs. The process of job hunting can be extremely tedious and frustrating at times, especially if you are fresh from college or university and looking for the first major break in your career. It can be equally difficult for the experienced individuals given the steep competition, which exist in the market these days. Therefore, it is very important to set the job search priorities right.
What do you mean by setting the priorities?
In the context of a job hunt, setting priorities refer to the options you want to explore. Besides, it also includes other aspects like generating leads, planning the moves and at the same time making sure that everything is going as per plan. Any deviations need to be checked. As a job seeker, you must be having your own set goals and you must have chalked down some sort of a plan as to how you should approach your job hunt. Setting the priorities is about listing down the options which you must consider first and what would be your backup plans if things didn’t turn up as expected. I might sound to be a bit too much for a job search, but the fact of the matter is in order to reach your objective, which is to find a job of your choice and preference, these are some aspects which you must consider.
Why is it important?
Most people do not approach their job search in a systematic manner. They tend to be disorganized in their approach which might cause them their dream job! What usually people do is to randomly search for jobs, appear in the interviews and feel happy to get recruited in any of the companies as long as they are offering a good package. In this entire episode, they miss out on far better opportunities which they could have explored. Now, the question is, why did they miss out on them? It is simply because they did not plan their moves. They grabbed anything which came their way. Therefore, in order to complete your job hunt in a successful manner and to reach the desired goal which is to find the best job, it is very important that you plan it well in advance. Do some research, seek some advice and then launch yourself.
Benefits of Prioritizing Job Search:
Now that you know what prioritizing is all about and what are its significance, it is time you are told about their benefits. There are quite a few benefits which can be derived from setting your job priorities straight. Here are some of them
1. Efficient:
When it comes to setting the priorities, it means planning and making sure that you work in accordance with the plans. This would help you conduct the entire process in a more efficient manner. It allows you to follow a pre scheduled time frame which lets you achieve your target within the time frame you have set for yourself.
2. Smooth:
Prioritizing can certainly make things very smooth and less bumpy for you. Since you already have a plan and you know what your priorities are, you can straight away go for them without wasting any time. This would help you save your energy, time and you won’t feel the pressure of job hunt .
3. Quick Results:
Since you have set your priorities and you know which options to look for, you can start approaching them straight away. This would help you save your valuable time from shooting in the dark and would ensure that you achieved your goal within a short span of time.
4. Alternative Options:
It might happen that you failed to achieve what you desired. However, you cannot allow yourself to waste your time dwelling on your failures. You must shift gears and start looking for other options. This is where you will have an edge on others. Since you had your priorities set, you know what your alternatives are and can easily start exploring them. For those, whose approach is not organized and systematic, they will certainly find it more difficult to look for alternative options. The reason is they don’t really have anything alternative in their mind, simply because they had no priorities.
5. Success Rate:
Prioritizing ensures a higher success rate. It is because when you prioritize, you are narrowing down on your options. You do this by taking into consideration certain aspects like your qualification, your experience, your expectations and other relevant aspects. Therefore, you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you can make best use of them and what are the companies you must apply that would fit your profile.
How to Prioritize Job Search?
When it comes to setting your priorities straight as far as your job hunt is concerned, it is not a very difficult thing to do. All you need is to make a plan, do some research and then see where you can fit yourself. Here are some tips which you might find useful
1. Be Practical:
Every single individual has his own limitations. He knows what his strong and weak points are, what he is capable of and what are the things which are beyond reach. Therefore, it is very important for you to set a realistic target. So, make sure you have those companies in your list of priorities where you have a chance to make it through. Going for something which is beyond your reach would be a waste of time.
2. Do some research:
This is a very important aspect of the entire episode. You need to have a very clear idea about the various companies which are offering jobs that would match your profile. Then, you need to consider the salary they are offering. You would certainly not want to work for anything less than your expectations. Then you must take into consideration the chances of growth. You would not want to be a part of any company where you would be stagnant in terms of growth and your career development. Therefore, you need to target those organizations which would offer you a reasonable growth rate.
3. Select you alternatives:
Now that you have selected your best options, it is time to select the alternatives in order to add more flexibility to it. There are chances that you might not get through any of the companies you had on your priority list. In that case, it is very important that you have other alternatives to work with. These alternatives might not be the best options, however you cannot afford to sit back and wait for things to turn around. With the alternatives in hand, you can start exploring them immediately.
4. Lookout for openings:
There is no specific time when companies recruit. Therefore, you must keep a very close eye on their job advertisements. Once you come across any vacancy, it is time for you to go for it.
Keep looking for your priorities: This is applicable when you have lived with the alternatives. During this phase, it is very important for you to continue with your efforts for the one you had on your list of priorities. You never know, you might well make it this time.
5. Maintain your position:
It means that you must not change tracks in terms of your job profile. You can go for it during the later stage of your career; however, initially you must stick to what you gained expertise upon. Changing tracks would force you to look for other options and you will have to start it all over again. Therefore, maintain your position until you found a strong ground under your feet.
Does it really work?
It certainly does! How do you think people end up getting dream jobs? It is through proper planning, systematic approach and knowing their priorities. Once you have set your priorities straight, you would know exactly what you want, what are the options you have, which one would be more feasible and profitable for you and last but not the least, will it meet the end goal, which is getting a satisfactory job. If you have any of your friends and associates who are struggling to find a job, have a look at the way they approach their job hunt. I can assure you that they are all over the place with their job hunt. They don’t know about their options, they are not too sure about how to approach it. They prefer to sail with the tide and grab anything which comes their way. In other words, they are not making things happen for them; instead they are waiting for things to turn in their favor. This attitude will never help you get your dream job, though you might end up getting one, but that is because you got lucky! You cannot afford to take the risk of leaving your career in the hands of destiny. You must take control and make things happen for you. If you are wondering how, then the answer would be to be organized, systematic and importantly have the intent. All these factors put together would help you achieve your goal. It is not a very easy thing to do. You need to put in a fair amount of effort, invest some time and most importantly, be persistent. It is very easy to give up after a few days, but that is not going to help.
Where can I seek job search help from?
If you feel that you need help, then there are quite a few options which you might avail. Here are some of them
1. Placement Cells: Get in touch with the placement cell of your College or University. Let them know about your career goal and what your objectives are. They would help you set the priorities straight for you
2. Job Portals: This is perhaps the easiest ways. Register to some of the best online job portals. Mention about your profile, expectations and other relevant details pertaining to your career, they would set the priorities for you and will keep on updating you with the latest developments in the job market.
3. Career Councilor: Attending career counseling sessions can turn out to be very useful, especially if you have no experience and looking for an opening. The career counselors would help you understand about the option you have, what are the avenues you can explore, which would be a feasible option for you.
At the end, it needs to be stated that in today’s job market, where cut-throat competition exists, it is absolutely essential to get the priorities straight. It makes life easier when you are searching for a job and at the same saves a lot of your time.
