Vince wants to know if he wants to get the job. He called yesterday and said it is two years since he worked in his desired career path and does this mean he will never get the job.

It depends.

Like many, Vince was made redundant and after a few months he felt he would not get the job in his desired field so he took on a different job. It took him time to get to grips with this new job. A year had gone by before he started looking for a job back in his specific branch of HR.  Since then he has applied for many jobs and has yet to get shortlisted. He doesn’t think he will ever get the job.

He is now concerned.

I asked him what he has been doing to get the job in his desired field.

  • He is registered with agencies
  • He is making applications online

And that’s it.
He is not doing anything about building contacts and finding out more. So how does he expect to get the job.
Asking him to be honest he said that some weeks he is spending about 5 hours a week focused to get the job, but some weeks he doesn’t do anything.
Some of this is down to motivation. It can be hard to keep ourselves motivated without support. It’s like losing weight or getting fit. You could do it on your own, or you could go to a weight loss club or see a personal trainer, both would help. As working with a career and job search coach can help you get the job.

I’m not sure if we will work together, but what I’ve suggested to him, to help him get the job is that he:

    • Reviews and improves his CV/ application approach. It needs to be more focused on his achievements and with clear examples related to get the job he wants and to include examples from his current job that relates to the job he wants.
    • Enhances his CV by demonstrating he is keeping up to date on his professional area, such as getting qualified, doing short courses, attending professional meetings, reading journals and writing reviews on Amazon of business books.  The later will also enhance his online profile.
    • Considers the use of numerology reports that can help identify strengths
    • Gets an online presence, he still isn’t using LinkedIn and my eCourse How to use LinkedIn to find a new job will help. Being on LinkedIn is vital for both research and for job search.
    • He increases the amount of time he spends on job hunting. He could do this by getting up an hour earlier and doing an hour each evening, this could double the amount of time he is spending on job search and help him to get the job.
    • Decides if he wants to return to his desired field. Does he really want to get the job? If he is comfortable where he is then he won’t have the impetus to really give as much as it takes to get a new job. He must want to get the job.  It would be easier (I don’t mean easy) if he really disliked his current job or didn’t have a job. Then he has the pain to escape from. He must concentrate on the pleasure he will get from being successful in his goal to get the job and to make sure that every day he is doing something that moves him slightly towards his goal.

Want some help in getting a job – feel free to contact me to schedule an enquiry call
Denise Taylor: award winning career psychologist and personal branding strategist with Amazing People. For 20+ years she has helped clients understand who they are and make effective career choices through cutting-edge innovative careers coaching. Her career books include Find Work at 50+ and Now You’ve Been Shortlisted.

Published On: May 31st, 2017 / Categories: Job Search /

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