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Tips for Overcoming Job-Search
Frustration
by
Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team
If you’re in the middle of a job search,
there might be moments when you feel frustrated and fatigued. Despite
submitting countless applications or posting your resume online, your phone
may not ring. You may interview for an administrative job and never hear
back from the company, or you could be offered the position you sought only
to find out that the compensation is lower than you expected.
But the job market remains strong for skilled administrative professionals,
and with the right approach, you can significantly increase your chances of
landing the position you seek. When looking for a job, keep the following
tips in mind:
- Set goals. When you’re between
jobs, you may miss the feeling of accomplishment derived from completing
tasks and meeting objectives on a regular basis. Make up your own “to-do”
list by setting daily or weekly targets for your job search.
- Get to work. Be disciplined in your
employment search and devote several hours each day. In this period of
time, network with professional contacts, find career development classes
and, if needed, seek career counseling in the administrative field.
- Find the right targets. You could
improve your odds of landing a job by narrowing your focus. For example,
instead of e-mailing or faxing a generic resume to every company
advertising an open position, develop targeted materials and send them to
a small list of the most appealing firms.
- Stay positive. A long and vexing
job search can test your patience and self-confidence. Recognize those
feelings of doubt, accept them and redirect your energy back toward your
professional goals. Rather than thinking, “I’ll never get a job,” say, “I
haven’t found the right job yet — but I will.”
- Ask why. If you interviewed for a
job but were turned down, follow up with the company and ask why you
didn’t land the position. Keep in mind that not all hiring managers will
have the time to offer detailed criticism, but even one or two tips about
areas you should improve upon could prove invaluable.
- Seek expert assistance. Register
with a staffing firm and ask a representative for suggestions on how to
improve your approach. These professionals can provide tips and feedback
on current market conditions and hiring trends in your field. Also, they
can help you locate temporary administrative jobs that will allow you to
keep working while you search for full-time employment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diane Domeyer is executive
director of OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing
in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office
support professionals. OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and
offers online job search services at
www.officeteam.com.
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roduced by Karen Porter, The Administrative Professional Job Performance and Career Success Coach™ and Founder and President of The Effective Admin:
"My specialty is
serving administrative professionals like you with job performance and career
management advice. I have 24 years experience interacting with the 'real'
workplace and working administrative professionals."
