Preparing for Your Next Job

When is the best time to prepare for your next job? How about today!

Candidates sometimes push back when we suggest apply for a contract position , rather than direct hire position. When you think about though, each job is day-to-day. There are no guarantees for the future, so it’s always a good idea to think long-term.

Keeping a Job File
One of the best ways to stay one step ahead is to keep a job file. Even if you’re not presently looking, whenever you find a job that looks interesting, save a hard copy in a manila folder or insert the job description in a folder on your computer desktop.

If or when the time comes that you are actively seeking employment, your job folder is a great resource for hitting the ground running.

Letters of Recommendation
Whenever you leave a job on good terms, it’s a good idea to get a letter of recommendation from the business owner, your boss, or an associate in a management capacity. These letters hold a lot of credibility leading up to a job interview. They basically say that you excel in your position and are someone a co-worker recommends.

LinkedIn Groups
It’s a good idea to join groups that pertain to your career. This can be done through after work networking functions or by perusing the Groups section of LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s groups column often shows fresh jobs posted on a weekly basis. Who knows when there may be something out there that sounds very interesting.

Hang in There
If you’re happily employed…. great!. You don’t want to gain the reputation of a job hopper and just jump at whatever new opportunity happens to be out there. The old adage that it’s always easier to find a job when you have a job certainly holds true. So if you want to control your own destiny, it doesn’t hurt to be proactive in a competitive economy and call your own shots by following the steps described above.

Tim Cotroneo

This entry was posted in Hire by . Bookmark the permalink.