It’s Valentine’s Day! Here are a few thoughts for job hunters on St. Valentine’s Day that may help you reach your ultimate goal.
1: St Valentine’s Day is the epitome of how a simple idea can be turned into a multi-billion pound business. On a smaller scale, the same can be said about you – so if your job search is not getting anywhere, I suggest you approach it from a different perspective.
Look at yourself – both on paper and in person – as a product that needs to be discovered by the buying public. When you write your c.v., scrap the fact sheet you’re using and create a marketing document that sizzles and sells and the same holds true for the way you market yourself when networking and at job interviews.
Take it one step further and make yourself ubiquitous any way you can. Get people to shout your praises and promote you to others – be clear to yourself and others what you stand for.
2: Love and passion are two words that define St Valentine’s Day. So every morning, wake up and love who you are. If you don’t, negative vibes will surround you and put off potential employers.
Now that you love who you are, you need to get people to notice you. I find the one thing that people you come into contact with during your job search notice and appreciate above all else about you (be they an employer, recruiter, or someone you network with) is your passion.
It can be the passion you have for what you do, the passion you have for wanting to help others, the passion you have for learning something new, the passion you have to succeed, or just the passion you have for life itself. If your passion shows through people you meet will remember you and want to do business with you and hire you.
3: Showing people that you care. One of the forgotten activities in a job search is following up and saying thank you. So when someone helps you or introduces you to someone who you need to know, say thank you before and after the introduction.
4: Watches are one of the biggest gifts given on St Valentine’s Day. And when it comes to a job search, time is the biggest intangible in the mix. 70% people using a job board to get a job say they applied to the job within the first 24-48 hours after it was posted.
Also when it comes to an interview, a meeting or any scheduled event, if you plan to arrive 10-20 minutes early you are actually avoiding arriving 10-20 minutes late. The two things that turn off decision makers the most are lateness and being stood up. Time is precious and proper time management is the key to a successful job search.
5: Don’t push away, take for granted, or take out your frustration on the people who are closest to you. When in a job search mode they are the people you need the most.
So show them some extra special love and appreciation today. They deserve it!
Happy St Valentine’s Day from Career-Mums – if your career could do with some love and passion find out how we can help at www.career-mums.co.uk/returners/.
