6 most steps to make the perfect job search strategy

A good job search strategy does not start with applications or job searches. It starts with you.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t put much thought into devising a job search strategy. We just apply for the jobs that seem most exciting to us at a given point in time. As a result, we may be missing out on finding our dream job or feeling professionally fulfilled.

Job hunting requires reflection, information and conversation. To land a job you’ll love, these are the steps you need to take:

First figure out what you want

Find a quiet place to sit down and introspect. Hone in on the strengths and weaknesses you are known for in your professional and personal life. Then think about which one of those strengths brings you the greatest fulfilment. Determine the field, industry or sector you want to work in and the role you want to play there. Now see how your skills sets fit into that slot.

Prepare a mission statement

Trust a ‘mission statement’ works. Once you have answered these questions, you will get closer to knowing what you want from your job. Use the answers to craft a mission statement. This is a two or three sentence declarative statement about the ideals, values and beliefs you hold true. It will be at the heart of your job search strategy and define your professional goals.

Do your research

Now that you have your career goal, you must try and reach that goal. This phase entails a lot of research. Which companies have the kind of jobs that match your career goal? Make a list of organizations you want to work with and read up everything about them, including their annual report. Then research industry trends, opportunities and history by looking up the Internet and going through a few trade magazines.

Also, keep in mind what kind of work environment you are looking for while conducting background checks on organizations. At this stage, you may want to learn a skill that will put you ahead of others in the hunt for a job.

Work on finding job leads

Next, you must decide what sources you will use to find potential employers. Job announcements like those you will find on job boards are one way to go. Networking is another. Connect with company managers and industry insiders via social media platforms. Attend industry conferences and seminars and try and meet the speakers. Speak to people in your social circle who are related to the company or the industry in some way and ask them what you should do to find your dream employment. If need be, apply for an internship in an organization of your choice.

A successful job search always needs a strategy. It requires planning, so make a weekly list of things you want to do and keep track of what you’ve accomplished. You also have to give it time. Irrespective of how busy your schedule is, set aside a few hours every day or week to putting your job hunt plan into action.

Social philosopher Thomas Moore said, “It isn’t enough that we have meaningful work. What is also required is work that satisfies the soul.” A well-planned out job search strategy will reward you with both.

Why There's Nothing "Soft" About Soft Skills

The notion of "soft skills" has been in the news a lot lately. For instance, a recent Wall Street Journal article explained how liberal arts majors may trail their more career-oriented peers in earnings at first, but not over the long haul – thanks in part to the broader education and related soft skills that the liberal arts experience offers.

Let's clarify how we discern between hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are learned in order to perform a specific job function. They're more easily identifiable and even quantifiable. These are the skills that are more about "what you know" or "what you can do."

Soft skills are less tangible. They're more associated with your traits or personality. They determine how you interact with others and the approach you take to your job – your professionalism and personal values. If hard skills are more about what you know or can do, soft skills are more about how you act.

What are some of the soft skills that help make employees truly successful? They range from work ethic and compassion to critical thinking and the ability to give and receive feedback. They include attributes like the ability to focus, capability to network and factors like tenacity, patience and empathy, as well as creativity, negotiation skills, accountability and many more. Each of these skills, in the right setting, and coupled with the right hard skills necessary for their job function, can dramatically impact an employee's ability to perform within an organization.

The data proves that employers take soft skills seriously.

A CareerBuilder study shows that 77 percent of employers believe they're just as important as "hard skills" … and 16 percent believe they're more important!

Another study, conducted by Millennial Branding and Beyond, finds that cultural fit is the single most important factor when making a new hire, and this is for both the job seeker and the hiring organization.

And a recent article in the Harvard Business Review talks about hiring for emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a person's capacity to recognize their own and other people's emotions. It's another type of soft skill. Research tells us that people with emotional intelligence make better employees. They're able to deal with stress, overcome obstacles, inspire others, manage conflict and they are generally happier at work.

Here's the bottom line: for teams to perform at the highest level, having people with soft skills is an absolute must. And employers know it.

That's why as a job candidate, it's more important than ever for you to be able to make it clear to employers that you have the soft skills they're looking for. Here are some tips for getting the soft skills part of the job-hunting process right.

Don't devalue soft skills. Yes, hard skills are critical – and you need to have them to get the job you want. But don't make the mistake of completely downplaying or ignoring your soft skills. First of all, that means doing more to practice and hone your soft skills. Students can focus on getting more involved in group work and contributing in constructive ways. Professionals can concentrate on teamwork as well. They can also think critically about key soft skills like how they handle stress – and seek out additional coaching or advice if they need help. (In the same way you might take a course to learn a new hard skill like programming.)

Be willing to talk about your soft skills. Many interviewees make the mistake of talking far too much about their specific job qualifications – and fail to paint the broader picture of what will make them a good employee. Much of the color in the palette of a well-rounded employee is related to soft skills. So don't be afraid to discuss how you got your teams to work together more effectively, or how you were gritty when overcoming an obstacle at work. These kinds of anecdotes can be incredibly revealing. Not only will they help potential employers remember you – they will give employers a good sense of the soft skills you can bring to the table to help their teams.

Make sure others can fairly represent your soft skills, too. Even if you do a good job communicating your soft skills directly, the best endorsements in this area will come from others you've worked with. Your job references can provide a candid window into the kind of person you are at work. So make sure that they've seen you at your best. Select references that you're confident have a clear understanding not only of your hard skills, but of your work ethic, dedication, problem-solving capabilities and more. These are the people who can offer the most compelling case for why you can be a great addition to an organization.

Remember – the term "soft skills" can be a bit misleading. These aren't just "nice to haves" on the job. They are an increasingly essential piece of the 21st century workplace – and the attention you give to them will pay off in the long run.

Three Strategies to Succeed in a New Leadership Position

It can be very exciting to secure a promotion to a leadership or management position, especially if it has been something you have been working toward for a long time. Landing the promotion can be exciting and feel like a relief. And, once the celebrations and elation wear off, for some, the weight of the responsibility can start to sink in. In some cases, it may leave you feeling overwhelmed or uncertain of your exact next steps. If this type of leadership position is uncharted territory for you, these tips can help you navigate through the initial murkiness to help you create the right perspective to have in your new position.

Check your ego at the door. 

You may be feeling on top of the world with your new position – for good reason. Now it's time to move out of the role of proving yourself worthy and move towards focusing on how to grow into your new position. You may have been very successful as an employee; remember you are just starting out as a leader. You may have a ways to go to prove that you can be a successful leader. That will take time, and that's OK. Be patient with yourself. Show humility, be gracious and accept suggestions from your fellow leaders. You will win the respect of your team and it will be easier for them to follow your lead.

Action tip: For the first month, focus on listening and understanding your new role. You will have plenty of time to present your ideas and implement new systems. Take the time first to learn what you can about your department and team. Listen to what they need and where they are with their roles (their goals and feelings). Take the time to understand their strengths, what motivates them, even what frustrates them so you understand how you can support them. Make sure to show them you are excited to work with them. Create a plan for next steps and for improvements. If you find changes that need to be made urgently, only pick one thing to work on for the first month.

Focus on learning 

While it is important to focus on growing the business or producing results to prove your worth, don't forget about learning. To secure long-term success, you will need to learn about your new business environment. This includes the politics, the culture and the strategy of the company you work for. Every business and every department is different, so find out what makes the wheels turn. Even if you have accepted a promotion within your organization, the politics and culture as a leader can be different than they were when you were a lower-level employee. The faster you learn these aspects of the business, the more comfortable you will feel.

Action tip: For the first six weeks, schedule time each week to learn about one new aspect of your department and your team members. This could be meeting with a more experienced leader, observing employees during a meeting to understand their style or asking fellow leaders for their top five pieces of advice.

Build relationships 

No man or woman is an island. As a new leader, you will need allies who will support you and your vision for your department. You could have the best ideas in the world, but if you don't have anyone to help you implement them, they are essentially worthless. It is important to spend time to get to know your fellow leaders and your employees, as well as gain their support for your ideas and vision.

Action tip: Schedule a special meeting with your team to introduce yourself. Keep your first meeting a bit more casual, as a time to get to know them. If a special meeting isn't appropriate at your company, try the same idea at break time with your employees. To build rapport with your fellow leaders, invite them to lunch or coffee. Take time to get to know them and find out how you can support them, as well as how they can support you.

Top Fastest-Growing Jobs This Decade

Just how good is a dream job if it's unnecessary to society? Not much good at all, and therein lies the reason hiring demand is the most pervasive factor U.S. News uses when selecting and ranking occupations annually. Every one of our Best Jobs is expected to create new openings between 2012 and 2022, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the best of the bunch will produce those openings at a percentage rate that's faster than 10.8 percent, the average for all occupations. The BLS estimates total employment will increase by 15.6 million by 2022.

For a handful of occupations on our list, new positions will sprout particularly fast. Here's the skinny, by industry, on those jobs where employment should spike by 30 percent or more:

HEALTH CARE

The cause for job growth in this industry is easy to figure out – a large and aging population plus more insured people stemmed from health care reform – but specific reasons for the growth of particular branches of health care are more complex. For example, there should be openings in health care support positions in specialties such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and dentistry, because the qualified professionals who fill these jobs will enable rehabilitation centers and dentists' offices to treat more patients.

When it comes to wellness care, the new job openings and rate at which they'll pop up is different. Seeking treatment for emotional health is losing its previous stigma, so counselors trained to treat and advise on marriage and family issues plus substance abuse and behavioral disorders will face good job prospects. According to the BLS, job prospects will also be favorable because military personnel coming off active duty are expected to seek treatment and will need good therapists and counselors. Overall, health care and social assistance jobs should account for one-third of the projected increase for jobs, the BLS reports.

Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing health care jobs between 2012 and 2022:

    Personal Care Aide: 48.8 percent
    Home Health Aide: 48.5 percent
    Diagnostic Medical Sonographer: 46 percent
    Occupational Therapy Assistant: 42.6 percent
    Physical Therapist Assistant: 41 percent
    Esthetician: 39.8 percent
    Physician Assistant: 38.4 percent
    Medical Secretary: 36 percent
    Physical Therapist: 36 percent
    Nurse Practitioner: 33.7 percent
    Dental Hygienist: 33.3 percent
    Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor: 31.4 percent
    Marriage and Family Therapist: 30.6 percent
    Medical Equipment Repairer: 30.3 percent

BUSINESS

It costs a lot of money to develop and promote a product, so most companies want to sell something that's a sure bet to be bought. Enter the market research analyst, who studies our preferences and makes recommendations to clients on how to create, package and promote their materials to best entice us to buy. The drive for more effective marketing strategies will also drive hiring for this position, and the BLS predicts this occupation will grow by 31.6 percent from 2012 to 2022.

The other swift-growing business job on our list, meeting, convention and event planner, includes social event planners, but the BLS predicts the strongest job prospects will be for job seekers who want to coordinate the logistics of corporate functions. Big businesses have international offices and job openings throughout the globe, and although technology allows colleagues to connect in a variety of ways, face-to-face communication is still preferred. Companies are re-upping their budgets for corporate planners – for both the salaries to employ them and the events they'll plan – so this job should grow at a rate of 33.2 percent between 2012 and 2022.

Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing business jobs on our list:

Meeting, Convention and Event Planner: 33.2 percent
Market Research Analyst: 31.6 percent


CONSTRUCTION

Our six ranked construction jobs are overshadowed by professions in information technology and health care. The No. 1 job for this industry – construction manager – is a great one, but it has 36 other occupations ranked above it that steal a skosh of its glory on the overall 100 Best list. And a few jobs we were bullish on in 2013, like carpenter and electrician, have skidded out of our rankings. None of this is to say we don't have high hopes for these jobs as the housing market and economy recuperate, and the jobs expected to open at the quickest rates didn't necessarily make our rankings list.

For instance, one of our unranked jobs, insulation contractor, should grow at a rate of 37.6 percent. There will be more growth for mechanical insulation work – installing heating and cooling material to pipes and ductwork as opposed to ceilings, walls and floors. Brickmasons and blockmasons construct or repair a building's structure. Their job is another unranked entry on our list; still, the BLS predicts employment growth of 35.5 percent for this profession between 2012 and 2022.

Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing construction jobs on our list:

Insulation Contractor: 37.6 percent
Brickmason and Blockmason: 35.5 percent

TECHNOLOGY

In the last 12 months, there have been major security breaches at Twitter, LivingSocial, Target and the University of Maryland. At this rate, there could be a cyberattack to yet another major corporation before you've finished reading this article. Take this lead-in – and that bad joke – to mean hiring opportunities for qualified information security analysts are cropping up. This job, which involves monitoring and maintaining software and networks plus analyzing and recommending the best cybersecurity practices, is expected to grow at a rate of 36.5 percent between 2012 and 2022. Keep your eye on openings at hospitals and other health care organizations, because as more medical records are transferred to electronic files, more information security analysts will be needed to protect patients' privacy.

Here is the expected growth rate for the fastest-growing technology job on our list:

Information Security Analyst: 36.5 percent


SOCIAL SERVICES

Social services is an elephantine industry of occupations on our list of the 100 Best Jobs. And from that group, the fastest-growing job is expansive all by itself. Interpreters and translators could technically be two occupations – those who are strictly interpreters handle verbal communication while translators work with the written word – and professionals from both pie halves are further segmented by specialty and language. For instance, the BLS anticipates increased hiring demand for interpreters and translators who are fluent in frequently translated languages in the U.S. – such as the Romance languages, German and Russian – but if you speak lesser-translated languages, like Arabic, you're poised to enter the harder-to-fill positions. Video relay service technology now allows people who are deaf to participate in online video conferences, so there will also be a greater need for organizations to hire more people who know American Sign Language.

If you're interested in this line of work but are struggling to fit a niche, pursue a master's degree in international business. The BLS also predicts verdant job opportunity to facilitate international trade, and if you've complemented your communication skills with an understanding of global markets, you'll be golden. Altogether, the interpreter and translator occupation should grow by 46.1 percent between 2012 and 2022.

9 10-Minute Activities Which'll Make You Better at Your Job (and Impress Your Boss form this Process)

When you think of what you can do in 10 minutes, you probably think of taking a shower or checking your email—nothing too crazy.

But, what you may not realize is that this is actually plenty of time to do something far more productive and valuable, like get ahead in your career.

The best ways you can advance your knowledge and skillset in just 10 minutes of free time. Because why not take advantage of every second you have?

Research and Pick a New Podcast to Listen To

I love listening to podcasts as I’m driving or walking. I’ve learned so much from hearing different career stories, and it entertains me during my down time.

Learn From Experts

Identify an expert in your field and spend 10 minutes a day analyzing his posts on social media, his blog, or videos of him speaking. Pay attention to how he words things and how he appeals to audiences. Make time in your schedule for 10 minutes a day to do this, and in a year’s time, you’ll have spent over 60 hours learning from the masters.

Learn Anything Outside of Your Job

It’s often the most unexpected things that contribute the most to our careers. If you’re living in an information vacuum and only learning things directly relevant to your job, those bolts of lightning won’t strike. That’s why I spend my free minutes during the workday unwinding and learning something completely new, whether it’s through a short video or an interesting article.

Skim Industry Publications

Stay on top of your industry by using 10 minutes to skim through a relevant magazine or website. Not only does this keep you up-to-date with your profession, but it may spark ideas for new projects or initiatives at your company.

Reach Out to Someone in Your Network

We all think we’re too busy to keep up with the vast majority of our connections, yet we know that there is undisputed value in maintaining those relationships. In 10 minutes, you can quickly text or email someone whom you haven’t spoken to in a while and let her know you’re thinking about her. It goes a long way.

Watch a TED Talk

With each TED Talk you watch, even if it’s only for 10 minutes, you get to learn something fascinating about a new subject from experts in that field. Plus, you see firsthand how you too can turn any subject into a compelling narrative.

Take a Risk

Sometimes, the only way to push forward is by taking a leap of faith. For example, write that email you’ve been hesitating to make to that potential employer. There are times when the only way to overcome stagnancy is to face rejection or accept an offer from someone who’s willing to bet on you. Take the risk, and reap the rewards (or fail and try again).


Take a Walk

When I have 10 free minutes, I take a walk around the office or outside. I try not to think of anything in particular, but to observe what’s happening around me. It refreshes you, and you may notice things that you normally wouldn’t while actively engaged in a task. It’s when I’m doing ‘nothing’ that solutions to problems occur to me.

Subscribe to a Publication

Sign up for a daily email from a publication related to your field. They usually contain a word or story of the day that teaches you something new and informs you of the different aspects of your industry. Reading these emails generally takes no more than 10 minutes and gives you a powerful bit of knowledge for the day!

Top Ten Daily Habits Which Make You Look Wildly Unprofessional

It’s not really just that the guy swore; most of us are pretty immune to that these days. It’s that three of his first 22 words were curses (assuming you count “damn” as a curse). That’s just lazy, as if he couldn’t be bothered to come up with better descriptions of all the things we were carrying. Instead, he went with the barnyard default, and that made him seem unserious and unprofessional.

(Just off the top of my head, since I’m sure some of you are about to ask what he could have called the things we carried instead: coats, bags, laptops, stuff, purses, briefcases, jackets, coats, gear, kit, pouch, totes, baggage, portage, luggage, junk, tunics—heck, call my a bag a man-purse, if you want to at least score a C-minus joke).

The truth is, nobody’s perfect. We’re all prone to semi-conscious verbal foul-ups that make us look totally unprofessional. That’s why we all need a reminder now and then. Here are 10 examples of similar things to avoid.

1. Lazy Profanity

OK, this one really is at the top of the list. Again, it’s not the profanity itself (although that often doesn’t help). It’s the laziness. If someone constantly uses the F-word as an all-purpose adjective, it makes you wonder whether they’re equally uncreative and slothful in everything they do.

2. Lateness

I must admit this is a tendency I’ve had to work hard to combat in my own life. The phrase “Murphy Standard Time” would not be met with blank stares by some of my friends and family. Yet I’ve learned that being on time is a matter of respect. Show up when you say you will, and you send a message that you’re professional enough to care.

3. Leering

We’re all human. We’re mammals. We notice alluring members of whatever gender we’re biologically predisposed to be attracted to. Yet, that same humanity also means we should have the self-control to keep the “up-and-down look” under control, so to speak. Eyes up here, my friend, or you’ll look like a creepy amateur.

4. Pollyannaishness

I’ve always been a bit bothered by the fact that the word “Pollyannaish” suggests the concept of having too much unrealistic optimism. Check out the 1913 book if you don’t understand why. Still, when, after a disaster, a colleague or a vendor insists that things are absolutely fine—while simple common sense tells you they’re not—it undermines his or her professionalism.

5. Flightiness

To be flighty is to be fickle and irresponsible. Tell someone you’ll be at a certain place, or that you’ll accomplish a certain thing—and then never do it? Sorry, you’re flighty.

6. Disorganization

Anyone who gets more than 1,000 emails a day probably falls into this category. As most of us who run businesses understand, clients and customers expect you to reply quickly. They want you to be able to talk about their situations (seemingly) off-the-cuff. If you aren’t in control of your own situation, they’ll wonder how you can possibly be in control of theirs.

7. Inarticulateness

This one is like, so like, obvious—and yet a lot of people like—they don’t really, like, get it. And that just, like, totally makes them seem like—well, not really professional, because they, like, can’t even get to the point of what they want to say and like, make it clear and stuff.

Enough said. I’d actually throw bad grammar into this category as well—although with the caveat that we’ve all known some very smart, professional people whose language simply betrayed their lack of formal education, or whose first tongue wasn’t ours. (Seriously, if this column were written in French or Spanish, we’d all have a good laugh at my grammar.)

8. Secrecy

Sure, we all have private lives, but most of the time our businesses don’t truly involve them. If you’re hiding important information from employees or clients, you’re not doing much for your reputation as a leader, and you’re probably making them wonder whether they can trust you.

9. Overpromising

A really brilliant salesperson once told me her art of selling was about “making the maximum promise you can, consistent with your ability to deliver.” Entrepreneurs often push the envelope on this, but the key is to make sure you’re confident you will eventually be able to make good on your promises.

10. Cheating and Lying

These two are obvious. As President George W. Bush once tried to say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Three Best Phrases Which Will Instantly Calm Angry or Emotional People

If only the world were populated exclusively by the sane and rational, your job as a business owner would certainly be a lot easier. But as we all know, some people spend much of their lives over-agitated or spoiling for a fight, and even the most level-headed of us sometimes let our emotions get the best of us.

You can’t always avoid having to deal with overly emotional people, but while these difficult conversations are simply part of life, there are ways to make them less painful and more constructive. That’s the message of a useful post that recently appeared on blog Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

The piece features an interview with Dr. Albert J. Bernstein, a clinical psychologist who, while treating the truly psychotic, perfected his techniques for bringing out-of-control conversations back down to Earth. His advice includes tips like, “If you feel like a preschool teacher, you’re probably doing it right,” and suggestions for soothing outraged folks on the phone, as well as these phrases to help turn down the emotional dial on your most challenging conversations.

1. “Please Speak More Slowly. I’d Like to Help.”

The problem may not be that they’re speaking too quickly; the problem may be they’re screaming their head off or sobbing uncontrollably. Nonetheless, this phrase can work its magic, according to Bernstein.

“Why does this work? It breaks the pattern in their head,” the post explains. “They’re expecting you to resist them but you’re not. You’re asking them to clarify. You’re interested. This makes them shift more out of ‘dinosaur brain’ and into thinking. And that’s good.”


2. “What Would You Like Me to Do?”

This one works on similar principles to phrase number one. It knocks the over-emotional person out of using their “dinosaur brain”—the primitive, emotional part that only knows flight or fight—and forces them to start using move evolved thinking skills.


3. Any Question at All

It doesn’t matter how loony the other party is being; if you want to get the conversation back on any sort of sane track, telling them they’re insane or explaining how your viewpoint is more sensible isn’t going to help. Why?
“Explaining is almost always a disguised form of fighting back,” says Bernstein. The other party will sense that and just get more aggressive and emotional.

So even if they’re raving that they’re Elvis back from the dead, you’re better off asking where they’ve stashed their sequined jumpsuit than you are explaining that, in truth, they appear to be an extremely unwell psychiatric patient. “The act of listening is reflecting back the person’s emotional state, not necessarily the content of what they’re saying,” according to Bernstein, and doing that by asking relevant questions is more likely to calm people down and lead the conversation onto firmer ground than any attempt to inject level-headed good sense.

Looking for more advice along these lines? Here’s a Harvard psychologist’s tips on dealing with rage at work, advice on channeling your own anger productively, and research showing that one time you really, really don’t want to get over-emotional is during a negotiation.