7 Ways to Kick-Start Your Job Search is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

This is Part Two in the ” 7 Ways Series on Job Search and Career Planning”.

A lot of Living Frugal Tips’ readers have shared with me their current unemployment situations that have forced frugality upon them, and I’m sure it’s an increasing concern for many.

When your faced with a layoff it’s hard to know what to do next. You may have been at a company forever or feel that your skills are limited and are now left wondering … what do I do? For those of you who may find yourself in this situation, here are some suggestions to Kick-Start Your Job Search.

1. Identify Job Likes and Dislikes — Start by making a short list of what you like/love about your current or past job as these are things you would like to maintain in your next job. Next jot down things you would change if you could – ie. more flexible hours, ability to work from home, less stress, etc. These are also things that you will want to look for.

2. Discover Your Personal Passions — What are you passionate about? What do you like to do in your free-time? Write it down. How great would it be to do what you love everyday. Maybe a job, career, or business idea will come from this. “If you love what you do it’s not work.”

3. Go through a Self-Discovery Process — Take a free career assessment test that can be easily found online. Most provide initial insights for free and want you to pay for the full report (don’t do that). You can gain some initial insights as to your skills, interests and aptitudes and suggested careers that would better suit you.

4. Identify the Possibilities — Based on the self assessment, thought and analysis, narrow down the list of possibilities of what you would like to do and write them down. If it is a career change, do you need more schooling? Do you know someone already doing a similar job that you could talk to? Ask if you can shadow them for a day to see what a day in their work life is like. Ask them how they got started. If you don’t know someone, ask anyway. You’d be amazed at how willing people are to help someone who has a genuine interest in what they do.

5. Get Connected — Now it’s time to kick your social and professional networking resources into high gear. So often it’s who you know that will get you the job or at least an interview. Networking is about building relationships. Talk to friends, family, current and past co-workers and let them know what your looking for or what you would like to do. This gets the word out as they may know someone who is hiring or someone you could talk with. It also makes you accountable as you’ve begun to put yourself out there. Call, email, talk at the gym, in your neighborhood. Let people know that you are looking for a job as they may become your biggest advocates aiding in the process. Also join the professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. You’ll be amazed how quickly your network of contacts grows.

6. Take Care of the House-keeping Matters– Of course you need to have a great resume that is to the point and relevant to the new opportunities you are exploring. Even if it’s a totally different field, there are skills and attributes that you have that would translate into other fields. Play up these skills you possess and your past experience and accomplishments that you know would be needed in the new opportunity. For example, teachers take information and present it in interesting ways that inspire students to want to learn. Good teachers are good at imparting information and instructing others. This could translate into a corporate trainer, or working on the admissions end of a college or vocational school, meeting with students and talking to them about the available opportunities.

7. Do Something Daily — Everyday! Successful people take action. Do something everyday that is a step toward reaching your goal or finding your dream job. Just one thing. Make a new contact, search a job site, research companies, send out a resume, call a recruiter, research a company your interested in. You get my point. By being persistent, patient and accomplishing something everyday you’ll build momentum and stay motivated. I have a question that I ask myself daily … in fact there is a yellow post-it note on my desk … “What have you done today to make you feel proud?” Pride is defined in many ways. Make yourself proud.

Fear seems to be what holds back many of us from trying something new and different — fear of failing … fear of success. But, the longer you wait the harder it becomes. Kick-start your job search and get the ball rolling now. Surround yourself with positive people and positive energy and know that you can do it!

Be curious and don’t be afraid to experiment and try something new. Good luck to all of you on this journey!

Please share your tips too.

Check Out the Other Posts in the Series — Kick-Start Your Job Search and Career Planning

7 Ways to Improve Your Job Security

7  Ways to Get the Scoop on Companies

Seal the Deal with Interview Questions from Top Companies

Killer Questions to Help You Nail an Interview

If you are a college student or young job seeker, you can find additional job resources at Online Universities.com where they featured this post among others in a compilation of 100 Inspiring & Informative Blog Posts for Young Job Seekers.

7 Ways to Improve Your Job Security is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

Given the current economic situation and rising unemployment rate, concerns over loosing your job have more than likely become an increasing issue for many.  This job advice can help you improve your job security at any career level:

1. Show initiative – Be a can-do problem solver. Understand your companies goals and current issues that they are facing. Within your area of expertise or job scope, offer solutions for stream-lining process and work flow that can ultimately save the company money, increase sales, etc. Work smart.

2. Have a positive attitude – You don’t always have to be the ray of sunshine, but everyone would prefer working with someone who is optimistic, friendly and easy to work with versus the office grump.

3. Continue to develop your skills – Stay abreast of industry news, read and teach yourself new things that will help you in your job.

4. Network and develop your reputation – Staying connected, networking, and maintaining positive relationships with friends, co-workers, old colleagues, and other community associations is critically important. Positive relationship can go a long way to help you keep or find a job. A top professional networking site is LinkedIn.

5. Document your accomplishments – Keep a list of your achievements and successes. Find subtle ways to make others aware of these accomplishments without being obnoxious.

6. Be prepared – It never hurts to be prepared. You should always keep a current resume that highlights your skills, contributions and accomplishments. Give some thought to parallel industries that you could consider if you were suddenly faced with making a job or career change and understand how your current skills would transfer. Rewrite your resume to emphasize that.

7. Make yourself indispensable – I’ve preached this to people I’ve worked with. For example, when a new account is won you want to be the person that is assigned to work on the great new account. And, when an account is lost, you want to be the one that they can’t possibly live without.

While there is no job security in this economy, it can never hurt to be viewed as a “super-star” and top contributor at you place of work.  If you approach your workdays with that in mind and follow the above job advice it will always serve you well.

Be brilliant at whatever you do!