Why routines or habits get you stuck in job search
We all have habits and we change our habits and methods to fit the circumstances. Most of my life, I have eaten a banana by peeling it down and taking bites as I go. However, this past year I have made many green smoothies and the banana is the sweetener so I peel the banana, break it into pieces and put it in the blender. It has become automatic, a new habit.
This habit became so automatic that a few times when I was planning to just peel and eat a banana, I found myself with the peeling in one hand and the banana in the other. I don’t know about you but I don’t like the feeling of a banana without a peeling in my hand.
What are the habits in your job search that aren’t working for you?
We think we know how things are supposed to be so we fall into those routines or habits. Maybe we even change the habit like I did with the banana but we fail to really think through the options because we are working on auto-pilot. Ever end up some place other than where you were going because you accidentally went into auto-pilot with your car? You going west but you go east every other day so you went east (at least for a few blocks or until your passenger said, where are we going?)
Auto-pilot. Habits. They get in the way of strategizing solutions.
- You automatically (out of habit) think that a resume is simply a piece of paper that sounds like a job description.That’s what you were taught in school. A work history. But not any more. You need to drop the habit of thinking a resume is a piece of paper and research what current trends in resume writing are from the experts in the field.
- Professional resume writers are dedicated to learning new strategies and tools.
- If you are looking for cutting edge solutions, you can and should be talking to a Certified Resume Writer. Certifications come in many forms but all are peer-viewed and not granted easily. The professional resume writer has to prove that he or she is worthy through actual samples and written proof.
- A resume is never just a piece of paper? No, that is not what a resume is.
- Out of habit of trying the new things, you put up a profile up on LinkedIn. You heard everyone was doing it. You didn’t know what to write so you wrote very little. You never use it anyway, you don’t even remember your password or how to edit it. LinkedIn is a tool but like any tool it has to be used.
- Did you know that learning about LinkedIn is something professional resume writers do regularly?
- Did you know that if your profile isn’t optimized, it is useless or maybe even harmful to your job search?
I want you to think if you are trying to search for a job using the habits you developed long ago. If you are stuck in job search, this could be why. I suggest that you stop acting out of habit and really think about your options.
Need help? While job search is often painful, I take the pain out of writing your resume and even make it fun with a personalized, interactive process. Hire me, Julie Walraven, Certified Master Resume Writer. Click Here.
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