Career Search Tips – Begin with the End in Mind (3 of 7)

Finding a “job” isn’t all that difficult, regardless of the economy.  Finding the perfect “opportunity” for yourself, however, can be challenging.  If you follow the 7 rules in this series, you will significantly increase your chances at quickly finding the perfect career opportunity.  My goal is to make your life easier and keep you focused on doing things the right way, not the easy way.  By doing things the right way, you will be more efficient and your search will be more focused and effective.

Whether you are coming out of college looking for that best opportunity or if you are trying to make a career transition into a better opportunity, you must have a specific end goal in mind.  You may not know the exact company or position, but you should have a detailed description in mind of what you want from a professional standpoint.  This should be part of the vision of success you will write at the end of this book.  An example of a professional vision would be:

“I want to work for a small company in the media business that allows me to utilize my sales skills, to interact with a variety of businesses and that presents me with opportunities for career growth as I learn the industry.  I want to eventually be in a management role where I can use my leadership skills to help guide the efforts of others.”

You must have a specific end goal in mind to keep you focused during the search for your best opportunity.  The process can be long and frustrating, and the last thing you want to do is lose focus of what you really want.  You should also avoid becoming so annoyed with the process that you choose an opportunity that really isn’t what you are looking for, only because you’re sick of searching.

If the search process is dragging on longer than you would like, having a vision will be your light at the end of the tunnel and allow you to persevere through the difficult times.  Do not allow yourself to lose focus of what you really want.  Stay positive, believe in your end goal and you will eventually get exactly what you want, which is the best opportunity for you to succeed.