Finding a job is a huge project in and of itself. Succeeding requires multiple skills: project management, communication, writer/editor, researcher, etc. It is hard to be an expert in all of these areas! Best to just jump in and start organizing your “job search project”. Here is a quick look at the five steps to finding a job and managing a career.

First Step: Analyze your profile and set objectives

Often, job seekers neglect one of the most important steps in the job search process—the personal assessment. It’s about taking time to deeply reflect on your past experiences, acquired skills and desired path. By forgetting about all the job offers floating around on the web for just a minute to concentrate on yourself, helps learn the right words for expressing your experience and desires. This is a great way to rediscover who you are and maybe even stumble on some pleasant surprises!

To do your own auto assessment, start with a pen and paper and write down all the tasks and projects you have done in your various professional experiences. For each task, note:

• how many times you have done them (rarely, occasionally, regularly, daily);
• your level of responsibility;
• your level of ability (try grading yourself from A to F);
• your desire to continue doing the task in your next job.

By assessing yourself, you can see more clearly which types of positions you should be seeking and which are your most convincing points to include in your application. Basically, you are developing a precise professional plan. Not to mention, this assessment will put you at ease and reinforce your confidence.

Second Step: Understand the recruiter’s world

Understanding yourself is essential, but understanding the business world and a recruiter’s world is also super important. It’s necessary to learn to identify the needs and challenges a recruiter faces so that you can better reply to their demands. To do that, think back to your previous experiences, read industry literature and blogs and definitely take advantage of career fairs, events and your personal network. Try to talk to recruiters directly. Get interested in their work before you ask what they can do for you!

Third Step: Apply

Applying to jobs is obviously the key to finding a job. In most cases, there are two steps: creating your application documents (a resume and a cover letter) and interviewing. This step is the most understood and mastered by job seekers. That said, a little advice can go a long way. Read more in “Find a job”.

Fouth Step: The network

Beyond applying for advertised jobs and cold call applications, other activities can help you find a job faster by discovering more opportunities. One of the best tools, when properly put to work, is your network. Never forget it!

The web is also an awesome source of new opportunities, not only for identifying open positions and businesses, but also for getting your name out via blogs and professional/social networks.

Fifth Step: Managing your career daily

We all have a bad habit of treating our resume like our dentist. We forget about it until it becomes critically important. Yet, our future job is developing each and every day, especially when we are currently employed. Keeping your resume up to date, monitoring trends in your sector and nurturing your network while employed is certainly the best way to find a new job before the need arises.

Read more about these last two steps in “Manage your career”.