The beginning of a new year, particularly February, is the best time to look for a new job. Budgets are approved, new job requisitions are posted and your confidence is at an all-time high.
Every year in January I hear from hundreds of people ready to start a job search. They really want a new job. They’re eager to get started. And slowly but surely, they fail. It’s not a lack of talent, experience or desire. They’re just doing it wrong.
Are you ready for a new job in 2013? Here’s how not to be successful — guaranteed:
- Lack self-awareness and confidence. If you don’t know and believe in your strengths, no one else will. If you come across as hesitant or unsure about your qualifications, you invite others to question your qualifications. Ignore your strengths, feedback from previous work experiences and doubt yourself — that will really help your chances.
- Don’t tell anyone. The fewer people that know about your job search, the better. Keep it totally quiet and under wraps. Don’t get any feedback on your resume or strategy from friends or former colleagues. It’s also good to ignore any networking connections those friends might have.
- Cold-apply to as many jobs as possible. Hide behind your computer and look for jobs at companies where you don’t know anyone. Find any job that sounds relatively interesting and apply. Don’t follow up, either. Sit back and wait for the calls to start pouring in. And when they don’t, keep applying. Volume is always better.
- Let your resume speak for itself. Any savvy recruiter or hiring manager should be able to translate your resume to fit the job. Let them do it! Don’t customize your resume for the job. Don’t look for contacts in the organization that can help make your case for you. And definitely don’t do any informational or exploratory interviews to learn what matters most to a hiring manager or organization before you apply.
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