Career Mission Statement

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A common factor that I see that hurts people on their job search is a lack of focus. When you are building your career you need to have a plan and focus. You have to get rid of the idea of just taking a job and thinking week to week. That very rarely leads to a fulfilling career both financially and personally. One tool that is very rarely used by job seekers when doing their job search is a career statement. Just like companies that put together a mission statement to give them focus you should put together a personal career statement.

When you write your resume you want to be focused. Before you start putting together your resume you should take the time to develop a specific career statement. Putting together a career statement will help you identify the important factors of your next job and help you focus your resume and job search.

Here is an example of what I mean by a career statement:

I don’t want a quick turn and burn sales job where I am just concerned about closing deals from week to week. I am interested in a business to business sales job that consists of consultative selling and to build long term relationships with my clients. I can sell both services and products. I like change and want to work for a small company that one day is never the same from another. I would like a hands on manager that will be a mentor and help me grow professionally and advance my career. I can work well independently.

Now this is a very basic career statement that took me two minutes to put together. The more detailed you can be the better. Some or all of the factors I listed below may be important to you to find that perfect job that will be your career. The more detailed and well thought out your career statement is the more focused your resume and job search can be.

• Geographic Location
• Commute
• Compensation (Salary, Commissions, Bonuses, Stocks)
• Benefits (Health, Retirement, Extra Perks)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Environment of the Company
• Future of the Company and Growth
• Management Style
• Expectations
• Flexibility/Schedule
• Travel for Position
• Education and Training Opportunities
• Size of Company
• Industry
  

This list can go on and on. Develop your own personal career statement that is tailor specifically to you. Keep referring to your career statement as you are writing your resume so you are staying focused so you achieve you job search goals.

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