10 Signs That You Should Re-Think Your Job Search

When it's time to try something new.

Looking for a new job can be really stressful. Often, here on this blog, we talk about things like using your social network to get job refferals and how to market yourself.

Believe it or not, there are still some people who are resistant to the idea of coming up with an elevator pitch or using their resume as a marketing tool. Typcially, these people have been working for the same company for a long time and honestly believe that they way they have always looked for a job is the way that they should conduct their job search now.

The truth is that times have changed, and they way that we look for jobs now is very different than it was just a decade earlier. If you have thought about putting some of these techniques into your search, but aren't sure if you really need to go that far, here are 10 signs that you need to re-think your job search.

• You aren't really sure what a networking event is and don't know many people in your field.
• You've had 10 or more interviews and no job offers.
• When people give you suggestions, you're quick to say why they won't work.
• You send the same cover letter and resume to every job listing you are even remotely qualified.
• You're convinced that "beating the streets" is the way to find a job.
• You often blame your age or the economy for your lack of a job.
• You don't think that there are any good job available.
• You don't know what an elevator pitch is.
• When you're asked what you're looking for, you say "A Job."
• You don't have an account on LinkedIn

If several of these sound familiar, it's probably time to do some hard thinking about how you can market yourself to employers. Take a look at the career blogs and think of ways that you can incorporate the advice you find into your search. It might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but don't worry, any time you learn a new skill it feels like that. Before you know it, you'll be able to show an employer why they should hire you.
 

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Administrativejobsblog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.