tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941322565239180106.post-59084178342087407872007-11-16T10:27:00.000-08:002007-11-16T10:29:06.477-08:00It’s both easy and understandable to want to blame the job market for an extended bout<br />of unemployment, but you do yourself a disservice if you aren’t also willing to consider<br />that you are contributing to your dilemma. It’s easy to get frustrated with job hunting and<br />conduct your search in a stale, half-hearted manner. If you continue to do what you’ve<br />always done—network the same way, send out the same resume and cover letter, and use<br />the same group of contacts over and over again—without much success, it may be time to<br />change your approach.<br /><br />To evaluate what you need to change, answer the following questions:<br /><br />1. Which of your job search methods no longer seem to be working?<br />✔ Does your resume generate the kind of response you want?<br />✔ Do recruiters express interest in you and send you out to interview with prospective<br />employers?<br />✔ Do the people in your network continue to send you leads, or do you have the<br />sense that they’re avoiding you or don’t know how to help?<br />✔ Do the Web sites that you visit yield appropriate listings, or do you get the feel<br />ing that they don’t have the kind of position you’re looking for?<br /><br />As you approach the new work week, make a habit of reviewing this information<br />and make whatever changes are necessary to generate new leads, motivation, and<br />enthusiasm.<br /><br />2. Which job search strategies and techniques are working to your satisfaction?<br />Obviously, you don’t need to fix what isn’t broken—you just need to do more of<br />what is working. When you get the kind of responses and feedback that you’re looking<br />for, it empowers you to get and stay motivated and optimistic.<br /><br />3. Is there something new that you haven’t yet tried?<br /><br />✔ A new Web site?<br />✔ An electronic mailing list?<br />✔ A job club?<br />✔ A career counselor?<br />Instead of dismissing these novelty approaches a priori, why not give them a chance<br />to work for you? After all, you never know where your next job may come from.UltraJobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16012257627387210374noreply@blogger.com