A job is like a relationship: some are long and meaningful, some are just brief flings, others are bitter and regretful. But how do you go about finding a job or company which will support your career and personal goals, providing a meaningful professional partnership you will grow to love?
Know yourself
It's difficult to find a good match unless you first know what you want and need. Identify your career aims and personal values. Consider practicalities, such as location, working hours, or professional development, training and mentoring needs.
You also need a clear idea of how you can match your skills, qualifications, experience and personality to your potential employer. What can you offer, and how does this fit in with what they want?
If you need inspiration, John Lees' new book, How to Get a Job You'll Love, suggests a number of exercises to get you thinking creatively about your knowledge and interests, range of skills, and the type of work and sector that would suit you.
Check out the talent
Don't dive into the equivalent of a marriage proposal – avoid applying for roles, either advertised or speculatively, without having done any research. A lot of your sleuthing can be done online. Company websites, press releases and trade journals can give you clues about the health of the sector or company, while LinkedIn, blogs and Twitter accounts also offer hints about working at a particular organisation.
If you like what you see, you'll need to pluck up the courage to strike up a conversation. Talk to people with inside knowledge to find out what the job entails. This will give you a better idea of whether it will be a good match for you.
Woo, don't stalk
When you're clearer on what you're looking for and where, you need to start catching people's eyes. In your job hunt, this will include decision-makers, such as hiring managers, project co-ordinators, or recruiters. Get to know them by spending some time hanging out in the same communities. Follow them on Twitter, read their blogs, and be part of the same conversations online. Contribute where you can, ask thoughtful and relevant questions and pass on interesting links or useful information.
Using insights gained from social media, you can find out more about what decision-makers are looking for in new recruits. You'll probably also pick up hints about their personalities and what makes them tick. But don't pester for jobs or leads – just as with the dating game, you don't want to look desperate. Make sure your online image puts you in the most attractive light possible.
Networking – building contacts online and offline – is one of the key ways in. Just like getting your friend to introduce you to someone you fancy, a personal referral in job-hunting can have a higher rate of success than making overtures on your own.
Make an impression
By the time you land your "date" with someone at a company, you'll be in a much better position to make a good impression. Having worked out what you want, what you offer, and having made the transition from stranger to acquaintance through moving into that person's circle, you'll be prepared to start a good relationship. You'll have a much clearer idea of how the company or sector operates, along with its concerns or needs. This, in turn, will give you greater confidence in your suitability, making you appear enthusiastic and clued-up – appealing characteristics for anyone making hiring decisions.
If you grow apart
Some jobs change, others remain so stagnant that they're no longer interesting or challenging. Inspiring and supportive managers leave, companies flounder or restructure, and sectors grow and shrink. How you leave your old flame says a lot about you to a prospective new employer.
If you have the option, leave on good terms. Try to remain professional to the end: hand over projects, train other staff and never badmouth your employer in public or to an interviewer. Approach your next potential partner with the same amount of research and thought as you did previously and you'll avoid making a disastrous decision on the rebound.
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