Tough times call for tough strategies. If you find that every application goes unanswered, usual contacts are not available, networking prospects are drying up and resumes are just an exercise in penmanship, then it may be time to think of new ways to penetrate the job market.

No matter how creative a job seeker becomes in his job search, it is often personal barriers that cast a shadow over the unemployed dilemma. Barriers such as housing, childcare, transportation, education, legal and health issues are frequently obstacles for most of the unemployed and are usually their primary concern, along with seeking employment.

Before a candidate completes the first employment application or mails the first resume, he/she should make an appointment with a Career Advisor, Employment Counselor, or Employment Specialist. During this first meeting with the Advisor, the job seeker will complete a skills assessment and barrier analysis. After scoring, the reports are reviewed by the Career Advisor. Given that these test results will provide the Advisor with additional information, he/she considers them as an excellent tool in supporting the Advisor’s conclusions and facilitating an accurate assessment. At the second meeting, the Advisor together with the client will develop a method to remove barriers, enroll the client in school (if required) and create an employment plan.

The majority of unemployed people have never had an opportunity to sit with a Career Advisor and plan a career path. Once involved, some clients often become opportunists and begin to remove barriers quickly, along with seeking employment. Consequently, a properly prepared career plan will expand the client’s horizon, along with teaching a life lesson in employment search, job retention and employee development.

Career planning is an initial beginning. It begins with evaluating personal barriers and working towards removing them, by completing a career analysis, skill and assessment testing, concluding with a winning job development plan.
It may be great to land a fantastic job. However, if an employee continuously brings his/her unresolved problems to work, it becomes a plague to the employer, destroying the employer/employee relationship and possible termination.
There will always be life barriers in any persons life, however since the Career Planning method is such a universal and amazing tool, it may also be used to assist the clients in other situations as well.

If a person doesn’t know where he is going, any road will take him there. Why not be prepared and take your road map?