Consider certain things before beginning a job search:

• Understand yourself — know your values, interests, preferences, skills, likes, and dislikes in order to understand your "career self," your passion in work and life.
• Clearly define your career goals.
• Select the job-search strategies that give you the best payoff for your efforts:
  • networking personal contacts
  • marketing letters
  • internet
  • responding to print ads
  • search/placement firms
  • cold calls or
  • go old fashion luck
• Learn the five V’s of an effective job search: Value, Vision, Versatility, Volition, and Visibility.
• Recognize two very important attributes for your job search: patience and persistence