Want to change jobs?

Source: CareerJournal.com | Author: Sarah Rubenstein

Mike Pennington's first job search after college wasn't exactly focused.

"I got the newspaper on Sunday, looked at the marketing section and sent out 400 resumes," says Mr. Pennington, now 32 years old. He ended up with a "paper-pushing desk job" in the insurance industry.

Since that job, which lasted 18 months, he's been more focused, he says, only changing jobs after he's heard by word-of-mouth about positions that have seemed truly attractive in his field...

For first-time job seekers unsure of what they want to do, it's common to hunt for a job the way Mr. Pennington did. But once you've set roots in your industry of choice, the scattershot approach may not get you the results you want. And if you've already had one job that lasted only a short time, you could risk being labeled a "job jumper" if you make the wrong choice and then move on quickly again.

Here are some things to consider when looking for another job:

1. Leave when you aren't learning. There's no formula for how long you should stay at a job, but one rule of thumb is to move on when you feel you aren't being challenged.
2. Focus your search. Rather than apply to a large number of employers, it is often more effective to develop a narrower list that truly interests you, Mr. Stabile says. "Put all of your energy into those."
3. Make sure you have accomplishments to market. Once you've had a job or two, it is time to revamp your resume. Generally, the education section should move to the bottom, and college extracurricular experiences aren't important any more, says Deleise Lindsay, a managing consultant in Atlanta for DBM, a human-resources consulting firm based in Philadelphia.
   
   From their first job on, employees "need to start keeping track of what [they're] doing to make a difference in that organization," Ms. Lindsay says. Future job searches are "going to be all about their accomplishments."
4. Don't be afraid to say no. If you are unemployed or financially pressured, you may have to jump at the first job you are offered. But when you are changing jobs, make sure you only move on if the new opportunity is truly going to be better than your current job.
   
   Remember that one purpose of a job interview is for the candidate to ask questions of the employer. What kind of training will you get? What is a natural career path from this position within the company? What were the career paths of the people who are interviewing you? What's the day-to-day work like? What is the company's culture like?