Job Hunt Focus

Whether you’re fresh out of school, or have been working for a dozen years, everyone has skills and experience that be useful in a number of industries or positions. And when it’s time to find a job, it is very easy to get either to focused – looking for an exact ‘fit’ position that matches all your prior experience, or too scattershot – sending out resumes to any position you might possibly be able to fill.

Neither option works very well – the first reduces your options, and the second gives to many options, and ends up with your resuming going out for a lot of positions that you may fit, but probably don’t belong in.

An organized, planned, and most importantly well focused job hunt, can be the best way to find the position that is right for you. And focusing and organizing a job hunt can be surprisingly easy.

First, decide what positions or industries you want to applying for. Maybe your prior experience is as a salesperson in healthcare – with in healthcare, you could easily move into marketing, or customer support. Or, you could use your healthcare experience to move into either pharmaceuticals (a closely related industry) or manufacturing, with a firm that makes healthcare equipment.

If you don’t have much in the way of prior experience, or are looking for a total change, try taking a few career aptitude and personality tests. These can suggest industries and careers that fit your skills and personality.

Once you have a short list (no more then 7) of positions and/or industries to look for work in, organizing your job hunt becomes simple. Customize your resume for each position and industry combination. Then make each day a new focus. Today, search for jobs in healthcare sales on craigslist, Monster, Careerbuilder, and any other job listing site you can think of. Pick the positions that meet your needs and qualifications, write a good cover letter for each, and apply. Tomorrow focus on healthcare marketing positions, and just keep moving.

This way you expand your options, while focusing your search on positions that are right for you.