Looking around it seems there is no shortage of interview tips and advice out there. Yet for many people the biggest problem is they don’t feel they would ever have a chance to use them. If your greatest challenge is how to get an interview you need to read this. Its time to focus on how to get an interview in the first place.

The fact is many people struggle to secure an interview because they don’t know how to conduct a job search effectively. This is a crucially important skill that will serve you throughout your career.

Here are the fundamentals……………

Know what you want

You have to know what you’re looking for if you hope to find it. To do that you need to set yourself clear job search objectives. Then go after them.

Be positive it can be done

Even when you know what you want; more money, better prospects etc, isn’t that what everyone else wants? “Why should I be so lucky?” is a common way of thinking. It leads many people to adopt the attitude of settling. Or telling themselves that they will start looking for a new job, just not today.

To get past this you will need to develop your confidence in yourself. Then you have to deserve what you want, by doing what it takes to make it happen.

Take responsibility for your career direction

Ok, no matter how many times you may hear it, its not down to the economy, or the industry, or the weather…….its up to you. I'm not saying the circumstances you might find yourself in are your "fault", but I am saying that you can take responsibility. When you do that you are more likely to change those circumstances for the better.

Companies will always be on the lookout for genuinely good people. Its your job to make sure they realise that you fit that description. If that means you have to rewrite or improve, your CV, fine. If it means improving your interview skills, well you're in the right place. Its up to you to find and go after the opportunities you want for yourself. The price you pay is being proactive, but you will reap the rewards if you commit to the process. And you wont ever have to worry about conditions outside of you ever again.

Know the market, identify what the employer wants

As I said, you have to find and go after the opportunities you want. To do so, you have to take an active interest in the market. Who is doing what you want to be doing? Where are they? What are they looking for? I’ve found the best people at doing this to be consultants, or contractors in an industry. They make it their business to know what is going on in their industry and where opportunities may arise. The nature of their work means they must adopt this approach in order to continuously earn (and earn they do!), but there is no reason for you not to adopt this independent attitude.

The more you know about the marketplace, the less tied you are to your current position, and the quicker you can respond to an opportunity that arises.

Do your research. Take responsibility for managing your career.

Produce a quality, targeted cv

Create a quality CV. Keep it ready and review it regularly with any updates to what you are doing in your current role. When an opportunity you like arises, its important to then take the time, (it shouldn’t be much if you’ve followed my advice) to tweak it to target it towards your application for the role.

ok, now you've got it, make it happen! To read more on how to make the job search work, read this article; www.interview-tips-that-work.com/job-search.html

Good luck