Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: Job Hunting for Success
Many people are elated when they get a call for an interview—or, even better, when they walk out of an interview confident they’ve nailed it. While these are both causes for celebration (I don’t mean to be a complete downer), you shouldn’t slow your job search just because you think you have a strong lead. Otherwise, you could miss a perfect opportunity and wind up with no job offers at all.
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket! Until you’re officially hired, don’t do these 3 things that will hurt your job hunt:
1. Don’t Assume You’ve Got the Job
“We’ll be in touch.” – Famous last works from many an interviewer. Whether an interviewer says they will ‘be in touch’ or that they want you to start tomorrow—a job offer isn’t final until the paperwork is signed.
Especially in growing industries, such as the healthcare job market in Houston, a job is not a sure thing until it is official. With so many candidates, you never know when someone more talented or qualified could come in and sweep an employer off their feet. (Don’t let this happen to you – see: How to Write a Standout Resume).
2. Don’t Stop Improving
Applying for jobs is like a full time job. How can you spend 40 hours/week applying to jobs? Because you shouldn’t just be applying to jobs. You should also be constantly improving your resume, skills, and LinkedIn profile. Too many candidates get sucked into stagnation as they wait to hear from jobs that never pan out.
Looking for a healthcare job? The healthcare industry is one of the best examples of continually improving yourself. Even if you are out of work, check out opportunities to continue learning new skills in order to stay competitive.
3. Don’t Stop Moving Forward
Whether you’ve applied to 50 jobs or 1, don’t stop expanding your job search. If you’ve applied to 50 jobs and not received an offer, re-vamp your resume to make it stand out more. Or, if you don’t know where to look for jobs, try asking around your social networks for suggestions.
But no matter what: don’t stop moving forward. New jobs surface on the market every day; and if you aren’t continually expanding where you are looking and whom you are talking to, you can miss out on a perfect opportunity.
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket—keep searching and honing your skills as a candidate to stay competitive and receive the best possible job offer.
