Does Job Search Success Lie in Planning and Attitude

Does Job Search Success Lie in Planning and AttitudeDoes Job Search Success Lie in Planning and Attitude?Does Job Search Success Lie in Planning and AttitudeYouve probably heard such phrases as attitude determines altitude or proper preparation prevents poor performance. Motivational reminders like these may be more helpful than you think when youre mired in a job search with seemingly no end in sight.Proper planning and expressing positive emotions during your search can play a big role in landing the job you want, according to researchers at the University of Missouri who conducted a study of more than 300 job seekers focusing on the early and later stages of the job search.During the early stages from looking for jobs, to writing and sending resumes and sitting down for the first interview job seekers who engaged in planning activities such as goal setting and developing, acting on, and refining a job search plan, gained an edge over others who were on the job hunt.In later stages , notably the second interview and receiving a final job offer, having a positive attitude was important. This is where personality can play a pivotal role. The researchers found that a job seekers planning activities and positive emotions in the job search are influenced by how energetic and outgoing he or she is.In addition, a persons self-discipline and dependability affected the planning activities and directly influenced the number of final job offers received, the study found.That says a lot about the value of researching employers before sending resumes and interviewing, which is something we at suggest strongly. Perhaps, (these) job seekers conducted better quality job searches by scrutinizing their fit with prospective employers more carefully, or more effectively following up with employers, said Daniel Turban, a prof at the universitys Trulaske College of Business.Planning and CopingHow do you land the job you want, especially in these days of high unemployment? Turban su ggests job seekers make a plan and continuously assess their progress with it. They should also develop a coping strategy to deal with potential rejections.But will they?Some of these recommendations seem like they are common sense, but they are just not that common. People dont have strategies, they dont assess their plans, and they dont think about their strategies and reflect on whether its working or how to make them work better. They just dont do it, he said.What do you think? Are these recommendations helpful for your job search? Are they easier said than done? Or are they just nonsense from academia? Tell us.

The worst work habits you need to get rid of ASAP

The worst work habits you need to get rid of ASAPThe worst work habits you need to get rid of ASAPIn large, ur habits shape us - for better or for worse. And they touch every aspect of our day-to-day our relationships and friendships, our health and energy, our income and savings, and of course, our careers.Though no one will abide by the most productive and strategic approaches every 100 percent of the time, if our poor choices outweigh our positive ones consistently, well start to see a shift in our ability to function. As career expert Elizabeth Whittaker-Walker explains, bad work habits are regular practices that limit our ability to reach goals.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIt could be a personal habit thats found its way into your professional life or a bad habit that only exists at work, she continues. Its something that poses a barrier to your success, and perhaps eve n job satisfaction.Like with anything that becomes routine, it can be difficult to break the cycle. However, with a little practice - and some dedication - you can tritt these terrible habits before they push you down. Here, the worst rituals you can adopt in the office - and how to cut it out, ASAPNot planning out your MondaySunday Scaries may officially have a name (and lots of memes) but the fear before the chaos of the week starts is notlage a new concept. Since Monday through Friday work was the norm, professionals have felt the weight of the work ahead.Though you probably want to ignore the obvious fact that like winter, Monday is coming, this is a terrible approach, according to career and branding expert Wendi Weiner. Instead, getting a solid grip and understanding of what the day will demand on Sunday - or even on Friday - will guide your productivity and perspective throughout the week.Mondays have always been my most hectic work days lots of calls, lots of deadlines, and lots of catching up from over the weekend, she continues. For me, planning out my Monday with a strategy and to-do list has been extremely important because it sets the tone for the work week and keeps me on a straight line.Not structuring your day based on productivityEveryones productivity peaks at different times, but if youre on the 9-6 assembly line, your most creative and focused moments will likely be in the morning.This makes it the ideal time to power through whatever is most difficult and demanding on your to-do list, according to founder and CEO of The Lonely Entrepreneur, Michael Dermer. He says a whopping 90 percent of professionals will check their emaille first-thing because its easy and feels more effective. However, thats a waste of your genius. Focus first on the hardest task of the day. This will allow you to apply your best to the most important jobs, he continues. Resist the temptation to do mindless or easy things to gain a brief sense of accomplishment.Ea ting at your desk and not taking a lunch breakIf youre reading this from your cubicle, mindlessly munching your salad, consider this your sign to get up - and do a lap. Many ambitious and hardworking professionals not only choose to take lunch at their desk but feel it almost-necessary to perform at their highest potential.When you do this though, it actually has the opposite impact on your psyche, since you dont experience a break from your workday. No matter the industry, having a moment of downtime - even if its 15 minutes - will have you feeling refreshed and energized for the hours left until 6 p.m.It doesnt have to be about using the lunch break to eat lunch at a restaurant. It can be to go for a walk, a 30-minute workout on my elliptical or Peloton bike, or even a manicure. Its not about vanity, but rather taking the shift in your mindset and keeping your brain clear and anxiety low, Weiner shares.Not taking PTORepeat after us you dont have to be a hero. Especially in an a ge where the Millennial workforce prioritizes a smart balance of life and work, forgoing your paid time off to get ahead isnt a great strategy. In fact, at a manager-level, its up to you to set the tone for your employees and remind them that not only is vacation necessary - but you encourage folks to enjoy their time out of the office.Trips to Europe, weeks at the beach or even maintaining regular health checks is all part of a work/life balance, and it something Whittaker-Walker stresses.At least once a quarter, schedule at least one day off to run errands, vacation, or to do something that takes you closer to a personal goal, she encourages. Tell your kollektiv members in advance about your upcoming time off, leave instructions about any procedures they should follow in your absence, perhaps even send them a calendar invite to remind them. While away, do your best not to respond to a ton of work emails, texts, etc. That lets everyone know that time off is time off, and when thei r time comes, they too will have the same agency.Giving your phone too much screen timeIts germy, distracting and addicting - and even though you know all of this to be true, you still hold onto your smartphone as a baby would a pacifier.This work habit is a tricky one to break since many professionals are ever-connected to their device to not only catch up on Instagram but check work emails, too. Dermer says the more you can give yourself breaks and blocks to look at your screen, the more your work will improve.When you are working on something, turn o? your email and put your devices across the room with the sound o?. Shifting your attention from one task to another, as we do when were monitoring email while also reading a report and answering text messages, disrupts our concentration and saps our focus, he shares. Resisting distraction and staying on-task requires discipline and mental e?ort. Its up to you to protect your cognitive resources. The more you do to minimize task-swi tching over the day, the more mental bandwidth youll have for activities that matter.Gossiping at workOf all of the habits, this one is probably the most prevalent - and problematic. Gossiping is often what connects us to our coworkers, but its also what can create a Queen Bee situation, allowing cliches to form.Whittaker-Walker explains the slippery slope of sharing confidential info about colleagues with coworkers threatens to crush one of the greatest resources anyone can have trust.Sometimes we spend more waking hours at work than at home, building strong team relationships as a result. If a colleague thinks enough of you to share something personal, be it about family, a work struggle, or privileged information, re-sharing those details without permission, as juicy as they may be, is a quick way to lose trust and even get fired, she iterates.When in doubt, zip it up. Its not worth your reputation, your career or your character to spread news that isnt yours.You might also enjo yNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Personal Marketing Strategy for Your Job Search

Personal Marketing Strategy for Your Job SearchPersonal Marketing Strategy for Your Job SearchBefore you begin yourjob searchyou need to develop a personal marketing strategy. A personal marketing strategy is a game plan for your job search campaign much like one a corporation would use to sell a product. Instead of trying to get people to buy widgets, you are trying to sell the product you believe in more than any other- youEvery product, even the best ones, wont succeed without a strong marketing strategy that is comprehensive, yet flexible enough to accommodate any changes that you have to make along the way. Identify Your Target Audience The first thing you have to do is figure out who you want to market yourself to. Identify the types of employers who would be looking for an employee with yourqualifications. For example, you must figure out if they are all within a certain industry or if a variety of industries hire workers with your background. Do you want to work for a par ticular type of organization, for example, anonprofitversus a corporation, or a small company as opposed to a large one? Decide if you are going to conduct a national (or even international) search or look for work in the same city in which you currently live. Plan for Locating Job Leads Decide what sources you will use to find eignung employers. Everyone you speak to will have a different opinion on how you should do this. Some people feel that published job announcements, for example, those you will find on a website likeIndeedorMonster, are a waste of time because of the number of people applying for the same position. They feel thatnetworkingis the only way to go. Others believe thatexecutive recruiterswill get them the job they want. To use a couple of old cliches, leave no stone unturned and cast a wide net. If you utilize all possible methods of tracking down potential employers, you will have a better chance of finding something. Just remember to stay focused on the jobs for which you are best suited and dont apply for everything you see. Contacting Prospective Employers After you identify employers for whom you would like to work, you will have to figure you how you will contact them. If you are responding to a published job announcement, follow the instructions given there. Generally, they will ask you to submit aresume, most likely online. It should be accompanied by acover letter. If you are working with anexecutive recruiter, he or she will probably forward your resume to the employer and then will set up an interview. If you find out about a job lead through someone in yournetwork, you must decide whether totelephoneoremailthat person.Often your contact can advise you. Remember, if you want to use email, send an introductory message first and ask if it is okay to send yourresumeas an attachment before you go ahead and do so. Most people wont open an unexpected attachment. Set Up a System to Organize Your Job Search During your search you may be responding to job announcements, using an executive recruiter, getting in touch directly with employers, and networking with people your associates have connected you with. One of the most important things you can do to help your job search is to stay organized. If you dont, there is a good chance you will misplace important names and contact information and lose track of email messages. When you have to follow up, you will end up wasting valuable time trying to find everything. You can set up a simple spreadsheet with a program like Microsoft Excel or you can use a note-taking program likeEvernoteto keep track of your job search. If you prefer, you can even keep a paper file as long as you keep your notes in one place. Once youve established a strategy for your job search campaign, you can begin to move forward with it. Your next step is to put together a great resume and to start preparing for yourjob interviews.