CageBreak

Here are 15 absolutely critical questions once you decide to search for a new job or career. Consider them as your take-off checklist.

1. What exactly do you want to work on? What do you really enjoy doing? What is your dream job?

2. Are you ready to put serious 100% effort into this job change project?

3. If you start losing motivation mid-way because of rejections, who will you turn to? You will need a lot of motivation over the next 2 to 6 months, which is the typical time it takes to find a new job.

4. How well do you know what your desired job involves? Have you tried it in any way, like part-time work, or by discussing with a friend or relative who is doing such a job?

5. Who are the different people you know, and how many others can you reach through them, to locate new job opportunities?

6. How many people in your network are working in the target industry? If there are none, how can you build such a network?

7. What are your skills and achievements that you can talk about without bragging? What have you been rewarded for? What have you been appreciated for?

8. What are the visible gaps in your skills or knowledge that you must try to cover?

9. How can you market yourself effectively? What are the different channels you can use to reach your desired job or target employers?

10. How should you present your skills and experience in the best possible way?

11. Is your CV reflecting the needs of the desired job? Who can you send it to for a critical review?

12. What are the top 10 difficult interview questions you need to prepare for?

13. How can you search for unadvertised jobs?

14. What exactly should you do after meeting or connecting with a prospective employer?

15. When should you follow up with a target employer, and when should you not?

It is okay if you don’t have answers to many of them at this stage. But once you write answers to them, you will get much more clarity, and you will make much better progress.