Job Search Success: Give It Your Best!

If job search success is your goal, always give it your best! You might have personal challenges or just face roadblocks from employers’ automated hiring practices. Whatever the situation, put as much thought, energy, and time into your job search campaign as you can.

Job Search Success–Where Does It Start?

As with most things worth having, attaining job search success depends hugely on what you put into it. Start with what you know you have to offer and can do to add value to employers. What’s more, refuse to sell yourself short, either in your own mind or in your interactions with potential employers. Self-confidence does not mean conceit or arrogance. It does mean you’re prepared to present yourself as a compelling candidate and to pursue your search with vigor.

In other words, don’t let barriers scare you off too soon or easily. Deal yourself as strong a hand as you can at the outset–and sustain your effort over the long haul as needed.

Blow Away Those Barriers to Job Search Success

The idea of blowing the barriers out of your path might seem a bit ambitious. However, keep in mind that the effort you make now can lead to satisfying results down the road. Success doesn’t always make an instant appearance!

If you do your best–and use smart thinking along the way–you should see a payoff later if not sooner. After all, you are, in a sense, investing in your professional future. Isn’t that worth sustained effort, regardless of when the benefit shows up?

Make the Best of It–In Every Way You Can!

Although you can’t expect to overcome every hurdle easily, you can devise tactics to avoid or minimize many of them. For instance, take the case of employers’ increasing use of automated hiring practices. You can’t stop them from trying that, but you can at least take the following steps:

1. Know your “opponent.” Accept that many companies now use this practice. Be aware of it–don’t simply ignore it and hope it will go away (it won’t).
2. Look diligently for paths around the situation. For instance, how can you make contact with one or more people who work at the company you’re targeting? Ideally, one goal would be to reach the hiring manager. However, if that’s impossible or nearly so, find other possible contacts. Get creative about it–avoid the usual job search rut!
3. Refuse to accept the employer-ordained, impersonal hiring routine. If that means giving the job a “pass,” decide if you’re prepared to do so or are willing to jump through the employer’s hoops on command.

Last, but definitely not least, give your best to the job search at every step along the way. Continue to work on making yourself the “must-have” candidate employers seriously need. If you persist until “your better is best,” you will put yourself in position to find the employer who will value you.