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Answer these three questions:

*Are you happy with your current job and continue to learn new skills?

*Are you satisfied with your progress and prospects for the future?

*Does your organization have a progressive growth plan for you?

If you answer these three questions in a positive way, you’re very lucky. Stay with it. If you answered any of those three questions in the negative, you have three choices:

*Keep struggling and hope for the best.

*You decide to “test the market” but don’t know how.

*Seek help, and put together a compelling strategy for the next step up.

If you choose the latter option, you’ll need a series of steps:

*Identify your ultimate career goal. What level will you be at the end of your career?

*Identify the steps to reach each level in order to achieve your ultimate goal.

*Define the “must haves” for your next two positions.

*Outline your “sweet spot.” What kind of organization? Where?

*Complete a self-analysis. What are the skills or experiences that you’re missing?

*What are the steps or plans to fill your shortcomings?

*Put together a compelling master resume that is results-driven.

*Identify the target markets where your success prospects are the highest.

*Develop a “sourcing” matrix to find the available open positions.

*Design a search strategy and make contact with compatible companies.

*Research the responding companies and position descriptions.

*Prepare for the five different kinds of interviews to become a top candidate.

*Compare and assess the job offers based on your criteria for success.

*Negotiate an optimal offer and prepare a letter of acceptance.

*Design an “entry strategy” to guarantee a successful first six-month period.

The marketplace is a far different arena than it was two or more years ago. You need to understand what’s different and how to best prepare yourself, realistically. Seek out those who can help you achieve your goal.

A word of advice: If your unsure about any aspect of the best job search strategy, it’s better to seek help before you get too far into it. A new resume would not be favorably received after a company rejected your first resume. You don’t get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Kaufmann is the president of My Greener Future. Send for a free resume review at wkaufmann44@gmail.com.