One of the reasons why the book What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles continues to be a perennial seller is that the author levels with his readers. He paints an accurate picture of what the job-searching process is actually like. He jokes, commiserates, and pulls no punches. Looking for a job when you don’t have one is a bear. Looking for a job when you do have one is still not an easy task. Starting a new job, whether or not you were employed, represents a wide variety of challenges.

Unemployed and Looking

As emotionally nerve wracking and financially destructive as looking for a job can be, it is one of the clearest opportunities you’ll have in life to establish effective goals. After all, when else do you get clear, uninterrupted stretches for determining exactly what’s important in your life and career?

Still, it’s easy enough to get caught up in the notion “I’ve got to find a job, and find one now!” as your job search wears on. The feeling of desperation can haunt you if you’re not careful. Early in my career, I had a couple bouts with unemployment and, by the fourth and fifth month, started to feel as if I would never be employed again. I was young and didn’t know better, and I let my situation affect my sense of self worth. After all, wherever I went and whatever I did, I was among the unemployed. Couldn’t people tell? It was as if I were somehow glaringly deficient.

If you’re currently unemployed, realize this is simply a transition period in your long-term career. Perhaps you got fired or left your previous job under less than pleasant circumstances. Maybe you’re new in the workplace and have never had a career position. You may be re-entering the career world after many years. In any case, you’re where you are for a reason and you have before you the marvelous opportunity to set your sights on what is most appropriate, challenging, and enjoyable for you.

From Job A to Job B

If you already have a job, congratulations. Psychologically and financially you’ll have an easier task of looking for a new job because you have some sense of security where you currently are. You also have some funds coming in on a regular basis, i.e., your salary, and can pay for the cost of resumes, mail postage, long-distance phone calls, gas, cleaning, and other expenses associated with your job hunt.

Independent of your current situation–whether you have a good job and are simply looking to better yourself, or you feel upset about where you are and can’t wait to leave–it’s your professional responsibility to continue to do your best until you officially complete your last day on the job. Doing less would dishonor your professional integrity.

Much like the unemployed person seeking a position, you have before you the opportunity to become very clear about your career goals. How would you like your new job to be?

• Where would it be?
• What would be the size of the organization?
• To what type of boss would you report?
• What would your job description be?
• What would your salary be?
• What kind of amenities would you enjoy?
• What kind of resources would support you?
• What would the benefits package include?
• What steps would you take to maintain balance and harmony despite a sometimes hectic schedule?
• How would this position fit in to your overall career progression?
• What kinds of professional relationships would you establish?
• What types of professional activities would you engage in?
• What type of skills would you want to acquire?
• What professional associations would you join?
• What events would you attend?
• What methods would you choose for gaining professional exposure?
• What compensation increase would you look forward to and when?
• What would your next job title be, and what would be the next one after that?
• Where would you live, and/or how long would your commute be?
• What are innovative ways you could serve your organization?
• What are innovative methods that you could use to accelerate your career growth?

This list is long and highly revealing! If you can answer these types of questions, you’re plotting out your career progression with the saavy that few career professionals in any industry throughout society possess.

Far too many people have hazy goals for what their next job will be and how much they’ll get paid. Not surprisingly, these are the same people who often find themselves a year or two down the road scrambling to hang on where they are or to land something else. They’re simply keeping their heads above water.

What About Where You Are?

These are certainly critical issues to contemplate and around which to make career-related goals when changing jobs. You also have the opportunity to assess such issues while currently employed and not seeking another job someplace else.

Have you thought about what your next career position would be in the context of your present organization? What about the position after that? By establishing goals for your future position, steps to support those goals start to become clear.

Your task is to learn all you can about the positions above you. Get a hold of the job descriptions, talk to people in those positions, and read what is available about these postions either within your company or in professional or industry related literature.

Making the Leap

If you begin a new job, whether you come from the ranks of the unemployed or employed, a whole host of other opportunities arise. With the time you have before you begin your new position, you can contemplate the questions above as well as the following:

• What kinds of relationships do I want to establish with my new co-workers?
• What kind of relationship do I want to establish with my boss?
• Do I need to upgrade my wardrobe?
• Do I need to take additional courses?
• Are there articles or books that support my understanding of the new position or new organization?
• Do I need new equipment?

If the position offers an increase in compensation, you also have potential goals around what you’ll do with the additional income:

• What investment vehicles will I consider?
• Should I consult a certified financial planner?
• Does the organization have a pension or profit-sharing plan?
• Should I invest the added income back into my career in the form of academic courses, equipment purchases, new subscriptions, and so on?

First Day Considerations

Once you begin a new position, on that first day and in the first few weeks that follow, more goal-setting opportunities emerge. Consider the following issues:

• Are there individuals who can serve as mentors?
• What new journals and periodicals would be best for me to read and to which should I subscribe?
• How can I strengthen or solidify my relationship with my boss?
• How can I strengthen or solidify my relationship with co-workers?
• How can I strengthen or solidify my relationship with my staff?
• Are there clubs, cliques, or informal groups worth joining?
• Are there opportunities to expand my responsibilities?
• Are there opportunities to volunteer ?

Since starting any new position will involve some adjustments, realities will probably change after you start. These represent more issues and opportunities for goal setting:

• How can I bridge the gap between what I thought this position would be, and what it actually is?
• How can I assemble the resources I need to do this job effectively?
• What kinds of changes do I need to make in my commuting routine to arrive and depart more easily?
• What routines do I need to establish in my domestic life to keep things running smoothly?
• How can I best affiliate with key individuals within the organization?

Changing your career involves plenty of thought and planning, whether the change you made was your decision or the decision of your employer. Yet, it does represent a significant milestone in your life which you can utilize to set goals in all areas of your life.