Guide to the Best Mindset for a Successful Job Search

The Job Search Mindset encompasses many aspects of a job search, but offers the view from the “buyer’s” (employer’s) perspective.

When you are in a job search, managing yourself through the whole, long process can be one of your biggest challenges. It is very easy to get into a personal pity party and approach your job search either pre-defeated (no one will hire me, so why try) or with a chip on your shoulder (hire me because I need a job NOW). Either attitude will make your job search longer and more difficult.

MUCH about job search has changed in the last few years, driven primarily by the changes in recruiting and the technology recruiters and employers use. Successful job seekers take a step back and look at themselves and the whole job search process from the employer’s point of view.

So, this section of Job-Hunt, called the “Job Search Mindset,” will help you adjust your attitude and approach, showing you the employer’s perspective on the process. With an understanding of the “other side” of the process, you will have the insight necessary to be more successful and also to be less distressed and discouraged.

Linda Tuerk, a recruiter with many years of experience on the hiring side of the process in the toughest job market (Silicon Valley), is Job-Hunt’s Job Search Mindset Expert. In this section, Linda shares her views on how to improve your job search through adjusting your mindset. You will also find many useful articles on this topic by recruiter Harry Urschel.

With a better understanding of what employers really want and how to present yourself effectively, you will be more successful in your job search. This Guide covers topics around attitude, professionalism, communication skills, listening, appropriateness, and building an impression of being “on the ball.”


Susan P. JoyceAbout the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
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