Factors for a Successful Job Search

There are of course many important factors that determine success or failure in a job search. Some are obvious and some are not. We have compiled what we believe are the most critical factors. Solve these and you will successfully land your dream job and dream company. Don't, and you will just settle like so many have needless had to do. A job search requires a lot of effort, but it also requires smarts.

1. YOUR RESUME - This is where most people blow it. Don't do it.

2. Applying for Jobs Outside of Your Area:

Companies will very rarely go through the time, expense, and trouble to interview someone if they do not live near the job. They do not care if you indicate a willingness to relocate at your own expense. Relocation only happens if a person's skills are rare or hard to find.

3. Applying for Jobs that Do Not Match:

You must look very closely and objectively at the job requirements to ensure you meet the education, work experience, and skills requirements. If you sincerely do, and the job is in your area, there is no reason that you will not get called for a meeting.

4. Your Most Recent Job Title and Company:

In general, employers strongly prefer to interview someone that is doing a similar job in a similar company or industry. It is imperative that your current or recent job title somewhat matches the jobs you are applying for. Trying to change job functions / careers is not easy.

5. How You Search Jobs / Amount of Time:

Looking at a few jobs sites for an hour or two per day is not job searching. There are tens of millions of companies in the US and only a small percentage are on job sites posting their open jobs. You must get off job sites and do real research and real job searching.

6. Your Overall Employment History:

Too many jobs, short-term jobs, irrelevant jobs, self-employment jobs, large gaps, and other employment history problems can be a major problem for hiring managers. If you have used our service we would have employed several methods to alleviate these problems.

7. Phone and In-Person Communication:

From having interviewed tens of thousands of people over the years, nearly all people do not interview well and this has a major impact on who gets selected. You must study and become an expert at interviewing. You will find endless information on the topic online.

8. Market Conditions and Competition:

Depending on where you live there may or may not be an abundance of positions relevant to your experience and skills, and there may also be many other job seekers competing for the same jobs. There are more companies and jobs in larger metropolitan areas.

9. External Recruiters and Agencies:

The odds of being placed by an external recruiter / headhunter into a full-time job is slim to none for several reasons. Unless you have some rare skill set, experience, and work history it will never happen. Do not waste your time engaging and applying to recruiter jobs.

10. Overall Attitude and Personal Outlook:

Many people display an attitude while job searching and in life that is anything but positive, motivating, and appealing to others. Nobody wants anything to do with a person who complains, blames, make excuses, explains, whines, or any of the other defeatist attitudes.

11. Not Sharp, Focused, or Professional:

An amazing number of people go through life with little to no focus. They seek the easy route, put in little effort, have no attention span, look for others to do for them, and are just not sharp in their manner, speech, and appearance. Employers easily see this in people.