by Becky Cole

Finding a job is challenging enough, but if you have mastered the art of “winging it”, you are probably creating additional obstacles for yourself. Often, when I ask someone what type of job are they looking for, I will hear, “I will take anything.” The reality of it all is no you won’t. If you would take anything, you wouldn’t be looking for new work.

One way to help you deal it all is to make a plan. This may sound trite, but it is often what is missing in becoming employed again. Jobs are slowly coming back, but those jobs are quite different than the ones we had two or three years ago, so you will need to think about a different approach to how you approach it.

Start with the bigger picture and then work backward

If you had your choice of any job, what would that job look like? Would you be working in an office? Would you be in a garage working on cars?

Make a list of 10 companies you would like to work for, then do your research. Read their websites. What kinds of jobs do they have? What kinds of skills are they looking for? Do they have the type of work for which you would be qualified to do?

What about that job makes it interesting to you? Is it the type of work? The environment? The people?

What do you need to get there? What is going to make an employer want to hire you?

Employers are interested in someone who can bring something to them. They don’t want to hear from someone who tells them, “I am applying for this because I need a job.” Everyone who fills out an application needs a job, but it is that person who is aware of how the employer will benefit from them who will get the job.

If you are missing some skills, keep in mind that job training and job seeking are not mutually exclusive. Don’t stop your job search to learn a new skill, and don’t stop training to do job search activities. Make it a part of your plan to spend part of your day learning a new skill or doing something that will make you more attractive to the employer, and another part of the day finding employers who will want to hire you.

Network, attend job clubs, volunteer. There are many free classes at libraries or community education programs. Ask people you know about who they could introduce you to.

Which one of these people is an employer more likely to consider - the person who says, “I don’t know, so therefore I did nothing,” or the one who said, “I didn’t know, but I found out, and therefore I did something.”

Every action starts with a decision. Decide that finding your next job matters to you, and you will find yourself taking steps to move forward.