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Job Planning and Preparation
By planning your job search activities, you will be more aware of the job market and more prepared in a job interview. As a jobseeker, there is a lot of information you can investigate before you ever apply for a position. Ensure that you have several different resumes prepared, research potential employers, and pay attention to job market trends.
Click here for our Workshop Guide to Your Job Search
COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID DURING YOUR JOB SEARCH
Research
- Misunderstanding the job market in your area ( Visit: Labor Market Information)
- Failing to identifyhow your skills match with specific careers
- Forgetting to investigate employers in the area (who is hiring and who is likely to be hiring soon)
Build a Network
- Keeping your job hunting a secret — let everyone know about it!
- Not being proactive — you should call friends in your field to see if they know of any openings
- Forgetting to spread the word — use business cards as a way to market yourself
Budgeting
- Maintaining all of your current expenses — you must cut excess expenditures during times of job loss
- Not wanting to make sacrifices — you should adjust your lifestyle as needed until you land another job
Resumes
- Having only one resume — tailor your resumes to the position for which you are applying (maintain different resumes for different positions)
- Not Spell-Checking — resumes should always be proofread
Market Yourself
- Never "researching" yourself — do a Google search on your name to see what comes up (beware of online profiles and blogs)
- Using unprofessional email addresses — try to use just your name when using an email address as a contact (ie JaneDoe@gmail.com)
- Inappropriate voicemail greetings — while job searching, make sure your voicemail is free of music, children, or inspirational messages
- Forgetting about Personal Appearance
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