Take command of your career and don't rely on others to manage it for you.

The Internet has made it very easy for job searchers to rely on other people to manage their careers, usually with limited results.

Here are some suggestions to ensure you take command of your career:

1. Don't rely on other people to run your job search for you.

A recruiter doesn't work for you, they work for any client company that pays them to find staff. A recruiter isn't paid to get you a job, they are paid to find someone to take a job that their client has available.

Similarly, while it's good to get advice from trusted friends and family regarding your career, it's your career not theirs so the ultimate responsibility lies with you.

2. Don't rely on resume-blasting services.

You may have heard of companies that you can hire to mass email (ie. spam) thousands of hiring managers and recruiters with your resume.

Do you think you will actually hear from any of the companies that allegedly received your resume along with 3,000 other people?

I don't think so.

Protect your resume and treat it like something that has value. It's hard to take command of your career when you put it in the hands of thousands of people you haven't met who don't know you either.

To find your dream career, you need to know how you manage your career and using services like this isn't something that has any value.

Take command of your career, don't put it in the hands of strangers.

3. Don't apply for jobs you aren't qualified for.

Some people think they should apply for jobs they are over qualified or under qualified for, hoping that it will lead to another more suitable job in the company being presented to them.

Applying for jobs you aren't qualified for is a waste of your time and the hiring manager's and chances are they will just think of you as someone who is desperate and who can't follow instructions.

You

may end up being blackballed from a company and ruining your chances at a future job with them that you are qualified for.

Take command of your career by understanding what positions you should and shouldn't apply for.

4. Don't start looking to find your dream career until you know what you are looking for.

Don't choose your career goals based on what other people tell you is "hot” or what they think you'd be good at.

You also shouldn't choose your career path based on what you think will make you the most money. At the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else and only know what will make you happy.

The quest to find your dream career needs to result in more than just a job that will fill 8 hours of your day.

Take command of your career by first understanding what you are looking for.

 Previous      Next