Be desperate when looking for a new job!

Phase I

You probably were, at some point in your career, in the search of the right job or a better job. Or you may be now looking for a new, a more challenging one. And what did you do or what are you planning to do about it? First of all, you talk with your family and your best friends because only they have the “privilege” to know this information. For the rest of your acquaintances this is top secret, just for the moment. They don’t have to know anything until you haven’t found that new job and you can praise with it.

Then you start searching on dedicated online sites and you select very strictly the jobs you want to apply for. You send your CV. You are invited to some interviews. You get a positive reaction for only some of them, but the situation is not that bad. You think you still have chances and then you receive the last response. It’s negative! You say “I know, I probably didn’t do my best, but I can apply for so many other jobs”. You’re not desperate yet.

Phase II

You reconsider your options and you apply for other jobs you have rejected in the first phase. You are sure you’ll be put in the difficulty to choose between several offers. You have all the knowledge and the experience they are looking for and even more than that. You know you are better than other candidates. You also know that in a “normal situation”, you wouldnot even apply for such jobs. But now you have to take into account all the options, because you’re very unsatisfied with your actual position. You go to interviews believing that it’s impossible not to be chosen. Finally, you get a positive response; then, another. Wow! You were right and you are now in the position to choose. But soon, at the final discussions with the companies you find out that one of this offers you a lower salary package than thecurrent one and the other job is no more available due to internal changes.

Phase III

Now you’re desperate.You feel like you did everything you could to get a job, but it didn’t work out. You start asking for recommendations from almost all the people you worked with and by doing that you have reveal your goal. In a few days everyone knows your secret. Moreover, you encourage them to call you if they hear about an opportunity for you. Now you’re focusing on every possibility to get a better job: discussions with your family, friends and acquaintances, visits in new towns, invitations to conferences, networking events, training sessions and so on. This is what “everything” means: explore every contact you have, every opportunity and make your purpose known. Allow others to help you because you need that. We all do.

What if you will be desperate from the beginning?

…you’ll request recommendations before you apply for a new job

…you will receive the recommendations on time

…you’ll announce everyone that you’re looking for a more challenging job

…you’ll be called for new opportunities when you’ll have the greatest need

…you’ll gladly participate at different events (trainings, conferences, etc.) and you’ll extend your professional network

…you’ll be continuously contacted for new opportunities and you’ll constantly have the privilege to choose the right job for you

Why wait four or five months to become desperate because you’re not finding the right job? Transpose yourself in this situation starting from now and act from today as if you were desperate!

Carmen Balalia, trainer at Schultz Consulting, has over 6 years experience in corporate and nongovernmental organizations. Her areas of expertise are: human resource management, entrepreneurship, sales, customer care, management, leadership, team motivation, training of trainers, organizational communication, recruitment, selection and mock interviews.