Blog Post: Set SMART Goals for Job Search Success

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posted Monday, March 9, 2009 9:48 AM

by Doug Mayes, Jobing.com Community Relations - NM

Did you see my latest post titled A Project Management Approach to Job Search?

We discussed the importance of creating a productive job search routine, and a setting up a war room. Now it’s time to set SMART goals. The general format of a SMART goal reads as follows. “I would like to go from here to there by when.”

Specific- The goal should state a specific desired outcome. “I will secure a position as a senior project manager in the IT department of a financial accounting firm.” NOT “I will get a good job.”

Measurable- The goal must provide a way to gauge your success. “I will use specific resources on the internet to research a minimum of 6 potential companies per day.” NOT “I will work very hard to find a job quickly.”

Action-oriented- SMART goals require you to actually do something! Chip away at a big task by breaking it down into manageable bites. How exactly will you achieve your goal? What specifically will you do? Write down the steps.

Realistic- Are your goals reasonable within the current environment? Are you willing to make substantial life changes to achieve your goal? Are you flexible on salary/relocation? Are your skills current, and if not, are you willing to beef them up in order to be competitive? Take a long look in the mirror and have an honest conversation with yourself about what you bring to the party. Don’t be too hard on yourself, either.

Timely- Every action step in your plan should have a reasonable deadline assigned to it. My boss says, “what gets scheduled get’s done.” She’s right about this.

Finally, record your plan on a whiteboard or posterboard, and display it prominently. Check off the action items as you complete them, and take note of any upcoming deadlines. At the end of your day in the war room, take 30 minutes to plan the next day.

More to come…

Tags job seeker tips, smart goals, business decision making applied to job search, goal setting for job search

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