Needs assessment in the job search.

Hello all, I know it's been awhile since I've written.  Sorry about that, "life" got in the way for awhile.  I'm not promising to write more often but I am writing now.

I've written a few times on how the internet & social media can be used to facilitate a persons job search.  a funny thing happened to me a few weeks ago.  I answered a question on LinkedIn about a month ago and the author of the question was so impressed with my answer she emailed me to thank me for my participation.  I didn't think anything about this (except that it was a nice gesture) until 3 days later.  I receive another email about my answer from a different person (OK, this is nice!  My answer is getting some attention!).  Amrit A read my answer and decided to invite me to write an article for his website (www.evolllution.com).

We have some discussion about deadlines & details through email and I write the article.  Amrit was true to his word and published my work on his site yesterday.

I wrote about "How trainers know where to focus first."    This is about performing a needs assessment or 'figuring out where the greatest pain is".  It's could be (I guess) compared to a doctor analyzing a patient.  The theory can also be applied in a persons job search.

Have your performed a "needs assessment" in your search recently?  Have you stepped back and really analyzed what you are doing?  a  job search ministry that I work with is fond of saying 'are you doing all that you can do in your job search" (the answer is always "no" unless you are fibbing to yourself by the way) but that's not what I'm talking about here.

Step back and take a hard look at what you are doing in your job search; perform a "needs assessment".  Look at your resume, are you getting responses when you send it out?  If not, consider making some changes.  Look at your networking, are you making calls and getting meetings?  If so, GREAT!  If not, be honest with yourself and figure out why.  Look at all of your activity; are you spending time on the internet during the day?  Is this the best use of your time?  Are you finding reasons just to get out of the house?  How about volunteering?

A job search is like any other project.  On a regular basis, you need to step back and take a hard, honest look at what you are doing.  If what you are doing isn't offering the desired results, start making changes.


For those of you who are interested, my article on evolllution.com can be found here...
http://www.evolllution.com/research/how-do-trainers-determine-where-to-focus-first/