Often people get it backward. They arrive at a time in their lives when they need a new job then the first thing they do is look for job openings in Naija gist newspaper. It may seem logical but it is not the most beneficial way to go about it. Many of those jobs are not a good match for one reason or another. If they are not a match then they are just distractions.
Instead, flip the process around and begin with yourself. Engage in some pre-job hunt career research. Career research is a process of getting in-depth knowledge of yourself and an idea of where your skills and interests best fit into the career landscape. The purpose of career research is to develop a career strategy and job hunt plan. So the process looks like this instead:
- Begin with self-awareness
- Study occupations
- Then industry trends
- Then company culture and job openings.
Self Affirmations to repeat
- I want today to be different.
- I want a new start.
- I want a more peaceful life.
- I need a change.
- I want to love to wake up in the morning.
- I want to be appreciated.
- Challenged.
- Inspired.
- I want more flexibility in my work.
- I want financial freedom.
- I want more time.
- To pamper me.
- To play.
- To laugh.
- I want to work with passion.
- I want to join like-minded people for synergy.
- I’m on my way.
See you there!
There are strong advantages to working a job hunt from this angle. First is that you will get a better understanding of your personal brand along the way by listening to some calm music or mp3 on the website. You will be able to strategically network with others knowing what you want them to remember about you. You also gain a deep understanding of what makes your heart sing and will be able to zoom in on opportunities that are more likely to work optimally for you. Lastly, you will come from a position of passion in job interviews and will be more convincing and so more likely to win the offer.
A good place to start is with this career aptitude test based on the Holland Codes or watching movies on the website. It’s good, it’s quick, and it’s free. The results are useful and interesting. The same website also has some excellent career research resources. I love the way the information on each job title is presented. It’s easy to read, short and sweet, and particularly relevant. Of course, O*Net is a very good resource for career research as well.