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Part -
I
How prepared are you for
planning and conducting an effective job search? Successful job seekers
must have both good information and well-developed job-hunting skills.
Three important factors for a successful job search a re an awareness of
your goals and skills, an understanding of the labor market, and a
well-planned job search campaign.
The following six steps
are used to conduct an effective job search.
STEP 1. Begin with Self-Assessment
The job search process
begins with an identification of your values, interests, skills,
accomplishments, experience, and goals. Self-assessment, though a
time-consuming process, provides invaluable information to facilitate
career decisions and to prepare you to market your background
effectively.
Values
An awareness of what you value (qualities
that are important and desirable) in a career will aid you in exploring
career goals and attaining greater satisfaction in your work. Review the
following list of values and check those most important to you. Then
rank your top five values in order of priority.
Job security
Working as part of a team
Working independently with little
supervision
Making a contribution
Professional status
Mental challenge
Pleasant surroundings
Challenging, stimulating co-workers
Different tasks to accomplish daily
Financial rewards
Creating something
Ability to advance
(Adapted from Training For Life, by Fred Hecklinger & Bernadette
Curtin, T 1994. Reprinted with permission from/of Kendall/Hunt
Publishing Company.)
Interests
Interests (areas that arouse your attention
or enthusiasm) are closely related to values and frequently trigger
skill development. You can identify interests by looking at enduring
themes in your life-activities that persist over time, consistent
choices, recurring dreams, or the way you spend your time. Try keeping a
time-log or examining your most enjoyable times in-depth. If after doing
so, you are still not clear about your interests or cannot rank them,
consider meeting with a Career Center consultant.
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