One of the biggest mistakes people make when applying for jobs is to apply for every job possible. Anyone who knows the difference between target marketing and shotgun marketing knows that approach is a mistake.
Aiming at everything frequently gets you nothing. Knowing these three things can empower your job search.
1. WHAT KIND OF WORK CAN YOU DO? THIS LIST IS LONGER THAN YOU THINK.
I was a commercial real estate broker and developer and general contractor for over 25 years, and I was great at it. But I needed to start over and redefine who I was and what I did for a living.
That got me thinking:
I’m great at sales. Everyone knows there are TONS of sales jobs like:
- Car salesmen
- Selling home improvements
- In-store sales
- Selling home mortgages
- Selling business loans
- Insurance sales
Another type of sales job is as a job recruiter. In case you don’t know, a recruiter is a sales professional that connects certain job applicants to specific jobs. Some people call them an employment agency or headhunter too.
Most recruiters are paid a commission equal to 3-6 months’ salary of the new employee they get hired.
Based on my business background, I was considered for a job recruiting bank executives, which paid good money. As a real estate developer, I worked with lots of bankers, and banks. I knew their job, even though I had never worked in a bank.
This brings me to the next point:
2. BE OPEN TO NEW POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
Sometimes being open to new possibilities involves considering a job where they train you in a new skill. That’s important to know if you don’t have much formal work experience.
I’ve been told I can write. I looked for work as an independent contractor and even made $30,000 ghostwriting a book. Independent contract opportunities aren’t permanent, so I kept my eye open for other things.
I can do consulting work for development projects, or even project management, or install tile. I can run a crew or do carpentry and drywall. I can also deliver things, or build fences or concrete countertops.
I didn’t have any certificates or formal work experience for many of those things, but I could do them if given the chance.
Notice I didn’t include thinking about work that makes you happy. That brings me to my last point of this blog:
3. GET A JOB QUICKLY, EVEN IF IT’S NOT A PERFECT FIT.
The job doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to stay there long but get something – ANYTHING! It’s always easier to find a better job when you’re working.
There will likely be things you can do, that you haven’t necessarily made a living from. List those things too during your job search.
Who knows? You might get a job in one of those areas. There’s a first time for everything.
Bob Pelshaw is an entrepreneur, author, business consultant, speaker, writer of the Ask Bob business advice column, and content provider for hundreds of jails & prisons nationally. Bob is a life and business builder, and roots for the underdog because he is one.
© 2022 Pelshaw Group Inc.
Instagram: @BobPelshaw
Twitter: @Bob_Pelshaw
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