Fresh graduates and recently terminated or laid off individuals immediately go out and try to land a job. This is practiced since jobs are source of income that can support daily expenses.

Going into debt or relying on government funds for assistance is not enough since there are additional things that need to be purchased. Hobbies and personal preferences on way of living often require individuals to seek for a job as soon as their source of income diminishes.

But frantically searching for a job is not often an ideal move for those who have went through a significant chapter in their life. When terminated, people are still trying to cope up and any decisions might not be based on what they need but on desperation. This is also the same for fresh graduates although their goal is to simply earn for their personal spending.

Before you move on to the job seeking stage, here are some questions you should honestly answer. These questions are aimed to improve your decision making as well as preparation for job search.

1. Determining your workplace personality – Take a look back on how are you dealing with your co-workers. With an honest look, you should be able to identify in just a few words on how you did well. For example, you were too aggressive since you noticed that people are intimidated with your presence. By determining your personality, you should know the chances of your success or on the things that you should improve while searching for a job.

2. Examining the right job – If you were terminated, going back to the same industry may not be a smart idea. Before you start searching for another job, ask yourself why were you terminated or laid off. There should be something that you have done or in your characteristic that may not be ideal for the company. It might even go deeper: you might not have the characteristic for the industry. This means you might consider shifting careers based on your personality. This might require you to go back to school for additional training but you avoid the frustration of being unproductive in the same industry.

3. Re-examining your ability to network – A few years ago, the idea of networking to land on a job is very unlikely. You can rely on your education and experience to land a job. But because of increase in competition, you do not just need experience and a degree (because everybody does). You need to increase your contact in order to be hired. This is very important if you are considering a career shift.

A new industry may not need your degree but your relative skills can be used. This fact can’t get you a job immediately in your chosen career but if you have contacts in your targeted industry, you should find work fast.

Never be hasty in landing a job. Take your time and re-examine your personality and career in order to have the right choices for your future.