Most job hunters in China measure their success by whether or not they find employment. They say to themselves and others, “I’ll know my search was good when I get a job.”

But truly skilled job seekers adopt a different mindset. They know that it is less stressful to take things one step at a time. They know that their immediate objective is to generate as many meetings and interviews as possible. And they know that by doing this, and adjusting things based on what they learn, the offers will surely come. If this is true everywhere in the world, it is even more important in China, where networking effectively is critical and can make a big difference in finding the next job.

These expert job seekers face each day with the perspective that they are on an Interview Hunt, not a job hunt. Here are their proven approaches:

• They use informational interviewing and one-on-one networking as focused research techniques which often lead to even more, higher quality meetings within their employment targets.

• They create and strategically circulate targeted, achievement-oriented versions of their resume rather than a single generic version.

• They aim their communications at the inner circle (hiring decision makers) versus the outer circle (HR departments).\\

• They use all four basic interview-hunting techniques (referral networking, contacting companies directly even if there is no published opening, using search firms, and answering job postings) and they notice which are working best in their unique circumstances. Hint: answering job postings is the least effective technique for most people!

Smart job seekers spend more time worrying about of getting lots of interviews and meetings, and they spend less time worrying about getting a job. This is super important in China.