Map Out the Path to a New Job
If you are on the job hunt, chances are you have some interviews in your future. This can be a stressful journey. It’s not easy to go into a room knowing that you have one chance to make a good impression. While it may seem like an extremely daunting task, there are some things you need to remember.
Each interview is different. Everyone has a different experience on their way to getting a job. There isn’t a perfect interview map, but you can make some generalizations. In order to help you prepare for you interviews, and to make you less stressed, you should try to understand the map of the interview process and the path to a new job.
The first stop on the road to a new job or career is preparation. You get there by:
By following these steps you get to a place of preparedness.
After you are prepared, you have to go on an interview. At this stop you want to:
- Put into practice what you have prepared.
- Use your silence well.
- Keep all of your answers and actions polite.
You have to be prepared in order to make it through the interview well. However, even a well prepared individual isn’t always going to get the job. Preparedness just gives you a better chance at getting hired.
The next stop after the interview, is the review. At this juncture on the map to a new job, you need to:
- Look at your previous interview.
- Try to understand what went well.
At this point, the path goes in a bit of a loop. You can prepare, interview and review for a while, but it’s important not to give up.
You will get out of the loop, and once you do you will be on the step of acceptance. At this stop you want to make sure that you:
- Think about the position you are being offered.
- If everything fits your needs, congratulations!
You have now accepted a job and reached the end of your path to a new job.
Different Maps for Different People
It’s important for you to remember that not everyone’s maps are the same. Your friend may go on one interview and get a job, but you may have to go on fifteen before you get offered a job, and then someone else might have to go on seventy-two interviews. No matter where you are on the map, remember it’s not a perfect map.
You need to prepare for an interview and go in there and show the hiring manager the best side of you that you can, but that doesn’t always help you get a job. When you are on the path to a new job, you can’t always look at what everyone else is doing. You have to find something that will set you a part from your peers. That might mean that you know someone at the company, so you can use them to do your research or give you tips. Or maybe you decide you have to relocate to get the job that is really right for you.
No matter what your map looks like, don’t forget that interviewing doesn’t have to be stressful. There are a lot of tools, workbooks, questionnaires and maybe even a map that can help you get ready for an interview. Knowing what to do and what’s expected from you in this process can really help alleviate the stress. Don’t wait. Start preparing for your future today.