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From my work with thousands of job seekers, with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, regardless of their age, education, or skills I see recurring themes in how people go about looking for work. In this article, I would like to discuss the fatal mistakes people make in the three stages of a job search:

1. What happens BEFORE the job search
2. What happens DURING the job search and
3. What happens AFTER the job search.

During the "before" stage, many job seekers make three fatal mistakes:

• Not knowing what they want. Only you can dictate what you want to do and how you want to do it. I'm not talking about the perfect job, I'm saying that before you embark on a job search, you should know what you want, based on your skills, how you like to operate, and what kind of environment brings out your best. Many job seekers are unduly influenced by the “job market” -- what's out there, instead of by what YOU want!
• Not knowing one's marketable skills. Ask yourself the following question: What will an employer pay me to do? Take a look at your skills and find out where you can “plug” them in.
• Not having goals. Numerous studies show that people who have written goals accomplish more than those who don't. So starting defining your goals, and writing them down!

During the "during" stage, many job seekers make six fatal mistakes:

• Taking a passive approach to looking for work. I don't believe in dismissing ANY form of job hunting.
  
  However, relying on the Internet, newspaper want ads, and employment agencies are not the only ways to get a job. In fact, they are probably the least efficient, and even when they do turn up jobs, they may not be the best fit.
  
  Remember: most jobs, and often the best jobs are not advertised, but instead, are part of the “hidden job market.” In fact, 85% of all job openings are NOT advertised! I'm not saying not to use the Internet, newspapers, or agencies, because they may lead you to other options, but I am saying, DON'T STOP THERE! Tapping into the hidden job market will decrease your competition, and increase the odds of your finding what you really want.
• Focusing on one job lead or one company. There is a great danger here. As the saying goes, “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.!” You might miss some really good opportunities because you haven't looked beyond the scope of your vision. And the “basket” might not get you what you want.
• Not talking with people. Sometimes applicants miss great possibilities because the salary is not what they are seeking. You may find that the salary is not fixed in stone, and that if you hit it off with an employer, they might negotiate the salary to your liking. OR, they may steer you to another job lead. You just NEVER know unless you talk with someone.
• Focusing too heavily on their resume. Many applicants place too much emphasis on a resume. People will spend an inordinate amount of time refining their resume, when, in fact, they should be talking with people! Yes, the resume is important, and should be done properly, but people forget the object of a resume is to secure an interview, and that it is only the beginning--it is a means to an end, and not the end in itself. There are lots of good books on resume writing, one of the best being Yana Parker's How to Write a Damn Good Resume (Ten Speed Press).
• Not knowing how to communicate effectively during the interview. Communication is the key to getting hired. Some candidates think in terms of minimal job requirements, and are too modest to sell themselves. The primary function of the interview is to convince the employer that you can do the job, that you can be part of the team, and that you can help solve the problem(s) that your job are designed to solve. It's really quite simple, but if you can't communicate those things, chances are you won't get an offer.
• Taking the first job offer they receive. There are pro's and con's to taking the first offer. For one thing, it is hard to measure what you might be missing, unless you have some basis for comparison. Desperation and the need to work can cloud one's judgment in evaluating a job offer.

During the "after" stage, job seekers make two fatal mistakes:

• Not recognizing internal changes in ourselves and in our external work environment. Change is a fact of life, and comes to the nature of the job, our bosses, our co-workers, and in the company structure itself these days. Nothing is permanent, and it is our job to note these changes and either adapt to them, or to make a decision to change jobs if need be. Not dealing with these changes can lead to burn-out, which is another topic in itself!
• Not looking at career development as an on-going process. Career development (or management) does not stop when one gets a job. Who knows when it will be time to move on again. So the process should never stop. Networking, continuing education, and continuing to monitor one's internal signals and goals is crucial to a successful job search.
  
  Do all these mistakes overwhelm you? They shouldn't. We all make them--it's part of being human. It's a good idea to look at them, and try to minimize them--after all, what we're trying to do is get the best job offer, and the most job satisfaction. It takes work, but anything worth getting is worth working for, and a great job is certainly that.