As a job seeker it is likely at some stage you have been ‘romanced’ to apply for various job opportunities that were not necessarily in line with where you saw your career path going.  It is common for job seekers to become distracted, particularly when searching jobs online or being approached or headhunted about jobs.

As a professional or executive, having a clear career plan and strategy becomes increasingly important. Being clear and focused on the jobs that are going to get you where you want and the industries you want to be building your career within are important.  Too often I see job seekers not sticking to their plan and wasting time applying for jobs that are off their career track and are not going to get them where they want, or that they are unlikely to get an interview for.

A few things you can to do to assist keep you focused are:
– Have a career goal and strategy to support it (short and long term)
– List the job types and industry/s you want to develop your career within and keep it handy to refer to when job seeking
– When applying for jobs remain focused – if you do find yourself being distracted by great sounding jobs that are out of your focus, revisit your strategy and list of jobs and industries
– Likewise when approached or headhunted about jobs, revisit your list – if it does not add up walk away

While there is nothing wrong with being spontaneous and carefree, when it comes to your career it is certainly something that requires more considered thinking and a strategic approach.

Article written by Six Figures and posted by Quay Appointments.