June is a month that is flooded with recent graduates looking for jobs. It is also the month that educators may be looking for interim summer positions. And, companies operating on a fiscal year, may be looking at their year-end budgets in June and in attempts to show a better profit, cutting some jobs. This month I will be running a series of Job Search Tips that will be helpful to job seekers and can be applied today or any time in the future that you may be involved in an active job search.

1.       Treat your job search as a full-time job. Write out task lists and perform them systematically. Action leads to results.
a.      You will be more successful in finding your next job if you treat your job search as a project, with defined objectives, an action plan, and a timeline.
b.      Keep a list of short tasks related to your job search goal that take less than 15 minutes. If you find yourself stuck, do one of these activities to get back on track again.
c.      Do the tough tasks in your job search to-do list first each day. Getting them out of the way will also give you a sense of accomplishment.  

2.      Write down the reasons why a particular job is perfect for you. You don’t just need to sell an interviewer that you’re the right person; you need to convince yourself as well.

a.      Learning how to sell yourself in a job search is the most important skill you will ever need, no matter what job you have.
b.     The prospective employers won’t know your strengths, weaknesses, or working styles. It’s your job to convince them that you’re exceptional. 

3.      Eliminate time-wasters from your job search. A lot of the time that could be spent on finding a job is squandered with activities that seem productive, but aren’t.

a.      It’s tempting to spend time on the Internet when you’re job hunting. It can help alleviate stress and it feels like you’re doing something, but it’s not always productive.
b.      Be sure you are giving attention to your LinkedIn profile where recruiters and hiring managers look for candidates and keep your Facebook profile professional, with security properly set up to protect you during job search.  

4.       You may need to conduct a confidential job search. Some companies will fire employees simply because they are looking for another job — they perceive it as “disloyal.”

a.      When conducting a confidential job search, don’t submit your resume to job fair organizers; often these are distributed to all participating companies.
b.      Never “blast” your resume using a resume distribution service if you are concerned about your current employer finding out you are job hunting.  

5.       Be honest, credible, and always “above board” in your job search. Honesty, integrity, and truthfulness are critical to your success.  

Why do smart, successful people fail at finding a new job? They don’t know how to look for work and their job search is haphazard and disorganized. People who are most successful in finding and getting the job show a willingness to invest their time, energy, and money in their job search. And another key to success in a job search is following up. Don’t sabotage all the hard work of job search by neglecting to follow up. “Do or do not: There is no try.” Yoda was right. You’re not “trying” to get a job, you’re doing it. And doing it means taking focused action.