Lewis Robinson recently published a great article on Careerealism.com listing the seven mental and psychological traits of people who get promoted. It is ironic that the same 7 traits can be used to describe the people who get hired in today’s challenging job market. These 7 traits are critical to an effective job search:
1. Dedication and Perseverance.
Perseverance and stamina are paramount when searching for a job. Even under the best circumstances, the job search can be disappointing and challenging and requires persistence and daily activity. Don’t let the negative aspects of the job search affect your thinking and impede your activities. Focus on the small achievements and your successes during the process.
2. Genuineness
Landing a job requires communication in the form of phone calls and screens, emails, applications, resumes, profiles, networking, business meetings and interviews. Making a good impression both verbally and written is often an overlooked skill but can be a “deal breaker “in landing the desired position. Hiring Managers hire “people” not robots; they want to ensure they can work with you and manage you. In a recent survey of 2000 hiring managers, 33% claimed to know whether they would hire someone within 60 seconds. Even more reason that first impressions are key.
3. Confidence
Job seekers must remember that you are your product and you are selling the value of your product to a prospective employer. Selling yourself doesn’t require that you brag or boast or take the opposite stance and give all the credit to your previous boss and co- workers. You must communicate with confidence the accomplishments you bring to the job that the other candidates do not have.
4. The Ability To Prioritize
1. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the variety of job search activities required to generate leads and opportunities and the time invested to follow up to stay top of mind with network contacts, recruiters, and hiring managers. Allocate a specific amount of time each day to your job search and work your marketing plan. Utilize key day time hours for networking and business meetings that will keep you proactive and energized. Use early morning and evening hours for reactive tasks such as searching on line job postings. Monitor and evaluate your activities and prioritize those that generate the best return on investment.
5. Accountability
An effective job search requires one to develop a personal marketing plan and to hold oneself accountable for executing the planned activities. Results do not occur without effort and hiring managers with job opportunities do not seek you out…..you must take charge and seek them out. Develop a tracking system, spreadsheet or process to plan and monitor your daily and weekly job search activities. Establish goals and hold yourself accountable for the results.
6. Initiative
Recall the good ole days when you could list your house on the market and sell it in 45 days? These days are over just like the days when you submitted your resume in person or on line and were immediately called for several interviews. Today’s job search requires identifying a variety of strategies and casting a wide net. Relying on the traditional approach of applying for posted positions produces a one in four chance of success and places you in a reactive posture. Choose to embrace a proactive approach to your search to generate the most effective leads and opportunities. Create a job search strategy that includes daily contacts to employers and network contacts and weekly activities such as business information meetings, industry meetings and networking events. Landing your next position has more to do with timing and being in the right place at the right time.
7. Commitment To Improvement
Challenge yourself to continuously evaluate your job search tools, skills and activities. Review your resume to ensure it sells your value to the employer. Refine and refresh your LinkedIn profile. Debrief every networking meeting, phone screen and interview to identify areas for improvement. Searching for the ideal job is a fluid process and there is always room for improvement.
Incorporate these 7 traits into your job search strategy. With perseverance, confidence, initiative and accountability you will make effective use of your time, manage your job search frustration and ideally shorten the time to land your ideal position. If you need additional support, seek the services of a career consultant or career management service. The Frontier Group/OI Partners has a talented team of consultants with over 50 years of collective experience in designing career transition strategies, organizational consulting and coaching.
Paula Pope is a Senior Career Consultant
The Frontier Group has been helping clients with career management for over 27 years. The Frontier Group/OI Partners career coaching and outplacement business model is based on customized and individualized one on one engagements designed to maximum our client's experience. The business model works and has advanced the careers of thousands of professionals across every industry, channel and managerial position
