The first step in the job search process is to analyze yourself and your professional qualifications. Discuss what you are required to do during this step of the job search process

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The first step in the job search process is to analyze yourself and your professional
qualifications. You need to consider what kind of work interests you and what qualifications
you have that would help you perform that particular work.
a) Career goals: To determine your career goals, ask yourself these questions: What
professional position, if any, do I have now? What position do I want when I complete my
course of study? What position do I want two years from now? What position do I want five
years from now? These are the basic questions many people use to create a five-year plan, a
fundamental building block in career planning.
b) Education: Think about how education affects your career goals by asking yourself these
questions: What courses, degrees, or training have prepared me for my career goals? Can I
achieve my career goals with the education I now have? Do I need additional courses to
qualify for the position I want? Will I need additional education and training for the position I
want in the future?
c) Experience: Analyze your work experience by asking yourself these questions: What work
experience do I have that is related to the position I want? How is this experience related to
my career goals? If I do not have related experience, how can I acquire such experience? Do I
have additional—though unrelated—experience that will demonstrate a successful work
history?
d) Personal characteristics: Define your personal characteristics by asking yourself these
questions: What are my major strengths and weaknesses? Do I enjoy working with figures,
computers, or people, or a combination of these? Do I like variety? Do I want responsibility?
Do I like challenges and problem solving? Would I accept a position that offers advancement
but frequently requires overtime? What do I like to do?
e) Your ideal job: The next step is to become very specific. Begin by describing your ideal
potential employer and the position you would want with that firm. It is okay to dream a little
when writing this description—your goal is to determine the type of position you want.
Compare your description of your ideal company and position with your analyses of your
goals, education, experience, and personal characteristics to see how the two sets of
information fit. If almost every category is in harmony with the others, proceed to the next step.
If your personal assessment and the description of your ideal position and company do not
agree, however, work through both sets of information again to decide where you should make
changes.
For example, you may learn that the type of job you want as a computer programmer exists,
but the available positions are in southern California, and you were hoping to work in Texas.
Should you stick to your original plan or rethink your choices? You must consider your choices
and establish your priorities. This leads to the second step in the job search: assessing the job
market. Look for connections as you examine your career goals, education, experience,
personal characteristics, and your ideal job. Similarities can indicate a potential career path.