Career Cube Blog

Ah tis the season to start gearing up for a job search for the new year. Maybe some of you have been on the fence with your current job playing the stay-or-go game, and perhaps some of you are actively on the prowl for your next big opportunity.

Take advantage of the holiday parties you’ll be attending over the next month to kick start that job search into high gear. Think about what duties you enjoy in your current job or past jobs, and your achievements. What qualities would you like your new career or job to have?

And also be honest with yourself-what are you trying to stay away from. Not just the bad boss (duh-nobody wants one of those in their Christmas stockings), but what skills are not your true talents? Not one person on the planet is great at everything. Everyone has a weakness. You need to be aware of what yours is, and avoid those positions that don’t let you shine. If you’re not good with numbers, then don’t take a position where part of the job is looking at reports and analyzing data. If you prefer to work with a group, then don’t accept a position where you’re expected to be self-motivated. Sometimes jobseekers can get so excited about getting out of the situation they’re in, that they jump without honestly assessing where they’re going. Bad move, very bad move.

So when you’re chatting with friends this holiday season, tell them that you’re thinking about looking for a new job. Let them know what skills you really enjoy using and what ones are really not your strong suits. ( If you’re talking with people you just met, it’s probably a good idea to not bring up the weaknesses, just so that’s not what sticks in their mind.) Then see what they suggest. You may get some ideas of companies or jobs that you hadn’t thought of. If you’re really lucky, they may even know someone to connect you with. But you need to know basically what you’re looking for, and you need to ask. People can only help you when you ask for help-the world’s funny that way.

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