I ™ve said information technology before: chore hunting is a lot like dating. For me, dating seems like such a long time ago. Even so I ™thou constantly reminded of information technology during my job search.

help wanted ad black and white newspaper

My strategy in dating was to bandage a wide cyberspace in an endeavour to find Mr. Right, or at least Mr. New Friend. Information technology was hard work, networking with friends, accepting almost any invitation despite the long hours of prep work information technology required, including what to habiliment, gathering input from friends and working on strategy. Men have no thought how much time women spend selecting the correct shoes to go with our date outfit.

I ™d chuckle at all this planning, thinking It's only dinner, right ? LOL! One time I said as much to a dear friend who had accepted a engagement with a new guy, someone that none of us knew. As she came to me for communication, I boldly stated, Go with him! It's just a movie; y'all're not marrying him . Joke was on all of us as I stood at their nuptials a year later.

The casting a wide net  role of my dating strategy eventually translated into my chore searches. Simply to be articulate, I ™thousand happily married and not looking for dates; we're merely talking about jobs now. Hubby is animate a sigh of relief.

When I was happily working total-fourth dimension, I also had a job-search strategy. That may seem odd to some, yet I think in that location's some validity to the saying, it's easier to get a job when you have a job .

No thing how satisfied I was with my job, each year I challenged myself to get one job interview. By doing so, I was forced to keep my resume upwards to date and also to examine my electric current situation lest I get complacent. I even had friends participate with me and nosotros held each other answerable.

Add a lay-off to the equation and suddenly the search took on a more than serious nature. Bandage a broad cyberspace and take meetings to hash out whatsoever reasonable opportunity that presents itself. Never hurts to talk right? My thinking has e'er been that y'all tin can't plow it down until they make you an offer .

Or can yous?

Shocking as this sounds, I ™yard showtime to call up it's OK to turn down the offer, even if information technology is just to conversation.

This is counter-intuitive to those of u.s.a. looking for our next opportunity. Shouldn't we knock ourselves out for each and every possible task lead?

It occurred to me some time ago – while I was casting my wide internet – that accepting all opportunities to talk is not necessarily productive, peculiarly when we know the opportunity is non right. Once I absorbed this ah-ha  moment, I forced myself to stop, collect my thoughts, think long term and develop a strategy. Starting with my end goal " the job I wanted " I worked my mode back through the block and tackle tactics. I even developed a ˜wish list ™ for my ideal job, including corporate culture and commute. With this road map, I narrowed down the field of opportunities, yet I also granted myself some freedom.

Freedom to pass up opportunities that may sound great but ultimately steered me away from my goal. Liberty to work towards what I want to exercise for the side by side how-ever-many-years I ™ll be working.

Is this like shooting fish in a barrel to do? Nope. It's hard to turn away unsolicited calls dangling the carrot of a potential chore under our olfactory organ. Especially those that, at whatsoever other time, would be a skillful fit.

And it'south flattering to hear someone show involvement in u.s.a. and our abilities. Kind of similar dating, information technology'due south hard to plow something downward for fright nosotros may never accept another date.

I ™m OK with accepting offers to talk, if it'south truly something of involvement. But I tin can't allow the dangling carrot steer me abroad from my goals.

Kids Activities Blog is Holly'south blogging home.

She is the co-author of 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Always! and The 101 Coolest Unproblematic Science Experiments.

She is the mom of three boys ages 13, xv & 17 who partially homeschools. She believes that y'all shouldn't take to buy stuff to have fun when in that location is a kitchen junk drawer full of possibilities.