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Using Journal to Support Your Job Search

Are you searching for a job? Here are some tips on how youcan use journaling in that pursuit.

It is important to know what we are looking for in aposition and company. Normally, we can write a long list ofstuff we don't want, but what do we want? We hear all thetime from career coaches and professional development gurusthat we need to define our ideal job. But golly gee,getting past the mindset that we deserve our ideal job andthat the ideal job is really out there, is something else.Then after we weed through that muck, we need to write downthe characteristics of what we "do" want.

All this is enough to make anyone want to stay in bed withthe covers over their head. With the lengthy list of allthat needs done, and in what priority, it is perfectlyunderstandable why people stay in a job they don't like.The overwhelm of everything is daunting.

Job hunting is a chore whether it's in an employee-focusedmarket or an employer-focused market. Of course, it'seasier when the job market has more positions then lookersbut that hasn't occurred in a number of years now. And theprediction is not in favor of it changing any time soon.

Career professionals tell us that we should be preparing forour next position the same day we start any new position.Yes, this can be mighty difficult, especially when all thebutterflies are still unaligned and you are still trying tofigure out where to find the rest rooms and lunch room. Ifyou mentioned all this to your friends they would think youare crazy and that you should be satisfied that you justhave a job. If this happens to be you -- you are in a newjob and still feeling lucky to have that one -- it's theprime opportunity to pick up your journal and begin definingyour next move.

If you are job hunting and going through the interviewingprocess, use journaling to practice interviewing dialogue.Many of the interviewing books available provide typicalquestions to get your started. Find the questions andpractice various responses. Do this 10 to 15 minutes a dayand you will be an expert interviewee fairly quickly.

If you are going on an interview and you are nervous, writeabout your apprehension. The mental expression will alsocalm your nerves. If you can, arrive early, sit in the caror the lobby and record your feelings before heading up tothe interview.

During the interview ask if you can take notes and recordthe questions. After the interview record the questions inyour journal. After the nerves have calmed, practice avariety of different responses. Continue practicing untilyou feel comfortable with your answer. It is important tocontinue practicing with these questions several days laterwhen you have a different perspective on the interview.During this process, the journaling will help you expandlanguage skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills.

It is important to learn as much as you can about thecompany before you sit in their chair. A research journalis excellent for tracking this information. If you findnewspaper articles about the company, copy and paste them inthe journal. Amy, a recent law student graduate even goesinto the interview with her "job search" journal in hand.Occasionally, she explained, she opens the journal purposelyand asks questions she prepared and makes sure theinterviewer sees the article, company brochure, and otherinformation when she is thumbing through. On many occasionsshe has found that even the interviewer never saw thearticle. Offer to bring a copy back when you return for thesecond interview.

Having a positive attitude in anything always gives us aheads up for success. Using journaling to support you inlocating you're next job is a great way to begin, a greatway to progress, and a great way to come out ahead. Youwill find that you are way head of the game when you dothis. Your competition most likely will make all theexcuses of why they didn't do this and you will move upcloser or even snag your ideal job.

Catherine Franz is a writer and author of over 1800 published articles, books on various subjects. She is a columnist and writes several Newsletters a month. Catherine is a 20-year international journaling instructor, including several US Presidents and First Ladies, and author of two booklets on hundreds of journaling tips and techniques. Visit the store at: http://www.AbundanceCenter.com

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