Making a Wise Choice

Don't let the difficulty in finding a job drive you to accept a job that's wrong for you. —David Lenze, director of MBA corporate relations, Penn State (in Fast Company's First Impression for April 3 2006)

Written for "newly minted MBAs", an article in Fast Company magazine holds valuable advice for all job seekers.

Work Your New — and Old — Network

Business people should network continuously -- not just when they need work.

I'm on several mailing lists with other technical people in the Bay Area. I've also started using LinkedIn. None of this has (yet) netted me a job, although I have had a couple of interviews result from these connections. I think the advice is valuable.

Find Your Focus

It's easy to get distracted and forget what you really want to do.

It can definitely be difficult to remember what you want to do (even if you thought you knew the answer) when you're in the middle of a job search with no actual job in sight. You tend to start thinking "Well, I could do this... or I could do that, or I could do Anything, Really, just give me a job!"

There's also the all-important question of "What do you want to do?" Exactly the same thing (but with a different company) as your previous job? Something new and different? A different role, a different industry?

Do More Homework

Once you pinpoint your focus, it's time to do more homework about the industries and companies in which you want to find work.

What companies are in your local area? Who do you know that works in that industry, or perhaps even at one of those companies? Do you have all of the necessary qualifications? Are there different possible names for the position you're interested in? Does it matter to you what the company does (or would you work for any company if you had the "right" role?)

Always Be on Call

Jobs can become available unexpectedly.

That should go without saying.

Never Settle

Eager as you may be to land a job, don't jump at the first opening that comes up. Step back, take a breath, and gauge whether it's really what you want in terms of function and location. "Don't panic," says Morton, of the University of Chicago. ... "Don't let the difficulty in finding a job drive you to accept a job that's wrong for you," says Lenze from Penn State. "The goal is to find the right job."

That last point is crucial. I've been there; I've "settled" (twice) for a job that was very wrong. Neither lasted and the experience was painful in both cases.

While you're searching, keep good notes. Write down who you talked to, what you applied for, when you applied. Make notes of conversations, phone screens, and interviews. Save the job descriptions and contact information.

If you're having problems in your search, you may find this advice from Kevin Donlin to be of value:

Got a difficult problem in your job search? Say, a lack of networking contacts? Or trouble answering interview questions?

Well, you've got company. Problems in a job search are as common as potholes in March.

But ... have you ever written your problem down on a piece of paper?

I'll bet you haven't.

Because, when you write problems down, you take an immediate, huge leap towards solving them. ...

[ Write Job Search Problems Down, Kevin Donlin, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing, April 03, 2006 ]

Donlin suggests a 3-step approach to solving your job search problems:

1. Start by asking empowering questions

2. Brainstorm at least 20 possible answers to each question

3. Take action on one solution. Choose the most promising from your list of 20 answers. After that, take the next most-promising solution from your list of 20 and make that one happen. Repeat until hired.

Here's why these three steps work when it comes to solving problems -- clear thinking plus continuous action equals results.

It can't hurt. At the least, you'll be that much clearer on what you want, what you've done, and what you can do.

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