Get clear on your job search goals

- In college, long before I had Waze on my iPhone, my girlfriends and I went on a road trip. I was supposed to bring the map, but I left it on the kitchen table. We got a few streets down the road when we realized the mistake, but against our better judgment, we kept on and left the map behind. Winging it on our road trip doubled our time. It should've only taken us two hours to get to our destination, and ended up taking us around four. Unfortunately, I see job seekers making a very similar mistake in their job search. They decide to wing it. When they find out that they're furloughed, or they're laid off, or they're feeling uncomfortable in their job situation, the very first thing they do is they hit the job boards. That's a bad idea. Winging it in your job search can not only cost you time, it can cost you money and opportunities. Before you do anything in a job search, and I'm talking before you write your résumé, your LinkedIn profile, reach out to your former acquaintances and colleagues and tell them that you're job searching, you really need to get clear on who you are and the value that you bring to an organization. You also have to know what you're targeting: the companies that hire people like you. Being clear will help you reach your goals faster. This can be as simple as, "I'm Josie, I'm a corporate recruiter, and I'm really good "at building and leveraging relationships. "I want to stay in the Bay Area "because I love the climate and my community. "I'm an early adapter of new technology "and known for my Boolean search skills "and my ability to find the purple squirrel job seeker. "Companies who could really benefit from my skillset "include startups and tech companies. "Five years from now, "I will be leading a small talent organization." I recommend asking yourself the following questions before you launch a job search. Why am I starting a job search? Is it to find more fulfillment in the day-to-day, to move up or get promoted, to have more work-life balance? Or maybe you're fresh out of school or unemployed, and looking to enter that industry. The next question to ask yourself is what are your salary expectations? This is an important question that should be adequately fleshed out to make sure that your dreams match the reality. I've had many conversations with executives who say they want to change careers, but end up being really limited in options because they are unable to take a pay cut. How can my network help me? Who are the people in your network that would vouch for you, who are super connectors, and would be willing to introduce you to decision makers, who would keep you accountable and encourage your search? You want to move from being just another name on a résumé to getting a personal introduction to the Hiring Manager. And lastly, who hires people like you for the roles that you're interested in? What companies are doing great work in your industry? Take a moment and pause. Ask yourself these questions. In the exercise files, download the Clarify Your Job Search Goals handout. It's a worksheet with these questions listed and a blank space for your answers. In the exercise files, I've created a handout for you that really walks you through the steps of getting clear on who you are and what you're looking for in your job search. When you build out a targeted roadmap, you're moving from having a reactive job search to having a proactive job search. You're taking control.