Let’s face it, looking for a new job can be hard work and leave you with a serious case of the job search blues. Getting your CV up to scratch, knowing the best places to seek out your dream role and dealing with ‘thanks, but no thanks’ rejections can leave even the best of us exhausted.

But it doesn’t have to be.

In my opinion, there’s two things you simply must have to make finding your dream job less of a challenge and avoid the job search blues. The right plan and the right attitude.

So let’s start with a plan of action. Take some time to think about exactly what you’re really looking for in your next role. By having too broad a spectrum of jobs in mind this won’t allow you to really focus your time and attention on the specific positions that you’re most interested in.

Make notes of any perks or benefits you’d value, such as flexible working hour, company car, childcare benefits or company healthcare scheme. Be realistic about salary too and consider what you would be willing to accept in terms of remuneration should the job have all the added value benefits you’re looking for.

Now you have your job wish list it’s time to think about where to seek out new opportunities. There are literally hundreds of online jobs boards out there and trawling through them all will most probably leave you with a huge headache and not much else. Think like an employer for a moment and consider where they might be most likely to place their adverts.

For a lot of white collar roles, LinkedIn is becoming more and more popular with businesses and recruiters to help them source new members of staff. If there’s a particular company you’d be interested in working for then seek them out on LinkedIn as it’s highly likely they’ll post details of any new opportunities on their company pages. But before you start running around making new connections, make sure your own profile is in tip top condition. You’ll find some great advice on our recent blog on how to do this here.

Now I know I’m bias, but having an experienced recruitment specialist who’s an expert in your industry is a massive help. Think of them as a helping pair of hands and seek out a long standing and reputable recruitment company in your area to help you with your job search.

Not only will a good recruiter have insider knowledge on the type of role you’re looking for and existing relationships with reputable companies in your area, but they’ll also be able to help you tidy up that CV and give it the polish needed to make you stand out as a star candidate. Appointments runs a free CV surgery for all of our candidates to help give their CV’s the edge, check it out here.

Now that you’ve got everything in place, it’s time to hunt down that perfect role and start applying. Set up a folder on your computer and copy and paste the job adverts of everything you’ve applied for into a Word document, along with the date you applied and any notes about the role. This will come in handy letter when employers start responding to your application and will help you keep track.

Although you’re now super focused and totally organised, it’s still easy to feel a little deflated if you don’t get the response you wanted or fail to get a response at all to your applications.

Don’t let it get to you, remember that a positive attitude really does yield results and you WILL find that perfect position. Keep on top of your LinkedIn profile, make new connections and join groups to further your reach and search networks. Give your recruitment specialist a call once a week so see how they’re progressing with the search and sign up for job alerts on your chosen jobs boards.

Keep positive, keep going and you’ll find that perfect position. I’m always here for you if you need any job search tips or advice.

Best of luck!