“Best time to job hunt”
There’s a belief that the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. This is based on another belief that potential employers will think you must be hot stuff since someone else is already paying you for your services. None of this is necessarily true.
In fact, it doesn’t really matter if you’re employed or not when job-hunting. Because there is only one best time to look for a good job. And you might be gainfully employed or not have worked in eight months. This right time is when in your heart of hearts you can say to yourself, “I don’t need this job.”
Now you can say that, not because you’re filthy rich and don’t need to work. But because you are confident in yourself, know what you want and have faith that by conducting a focused, strategic job hunt you’ll find the right spot. People who can do this-and it’s not easy–are what I call Peaceful Job Warriors.
Peaceful Job Warriors view things differently than someone who is frantic about needing the job-a so-called Frantic Job Warrior. For one thing, Peaceful Job Warriors act differently in interviews. They ask tough questions about issues that will make or break their success at the company like:
1. What makes this a great place to work?
2. What do you think I bring to this position and how do you think it would be challenging for me?
3. How do you develop employees?
4. Does the company promote work/life balance and if so, how?
5. How will my performance be evaluated? How will I know if I’m doing a good job or not? What would be done to help me improve if I needed to?
6. Is my compensation based on performance? By how much?
7. What are the key issues and problems this position addresses?
8. What’s a typical day like in this position?
By asking these types of questions, Peaceful Job Warriors not only probe to more objectively evaluate if a job is a good match, they also show interviewers that they’re not just looking for a job. Instead, they want an opportunity to shine, contribute, grow and make the company better-a more desirable employee to have.
If, on the other hand, you are a Frantic Job Warrior-employed or not-walking around with the belief, “I need this job,” you potentially:
Come off desperate. Employers will sense this. They may feel you’re merely interested in the job until something better comes along, which means it’s highly unlikely they’ll hire you.
Take anything. Within months you realize what a mistake you made because you’re not getting the basics that most everyone needs in their career: challenge, work/life balance, potential for growth, working for a company with strong values and ethics and an opportunity to use your greatest strengths.
Take a mismatched job to get away from another bad situation.
Let nasty comments slip out in interviews about your present company or boss because you despise the situation so much. This is one of the worst attitudes to bring to an interview and can cost you an offer.
But, you may be saying, I really do need this job. I need to pay my mortgage and car payment. Most of us do. But even in a time like now when it’s a buyer’s market, you need the Peaceful Job Warrior mentality. Because if you’re solely focused on what you need, you not only won’t get what you want, you won’t really get what you need either.
