Job hunting. Ugh. Most of us don’t approach it with much enthusiasm. And yet, if we open our minds to life’s possibilities and cultivate a more positive attitude, job hunting can be one heck of a fun adventure! What’s more, it’s an adventure that just might lead to a better position (and the better salary that goes with it), a stimulating new challenge (after all, you’re probably going to learn some new skills), and a happier life (“love your job, love your life” is truer than many people believe, because we spend so much time at work).

But before you begin your job search, let’s take a look at five potential mistakes you don’t want to make prior to turning in your resignation:

1. Not checking out the potential opportunities at hand. Before you jettison your current job and leave the company you’re employed with, check with HR to see whether there may be other jobs within the same company that might appeal to you. (This assumes that you like your current company, but not your specific job.) It’s far easier to transfer within the same company than to research new places of employment, send out resumes, go on interviews, and then wander off into the unknown. So if you think you can find a better opportunity where you already are, you’ll save a lot of time and energy (and possibly lost wages while you’re unemployed and job hunting) in your quest for happiness and job fulfillment.

2. Not using your current employment situation (no matter how bad) as a “search model.” If you’ve determined that it’s definitely time to leave, before you go, do some real soul searching and ask yourself about the pros and cons of your current job. Things will never be as clear to you as they are now, while you’re still employed. Think about what you don’t like—and what you do, which is even more important. Then make a real list, i.e., go to the trouble of writing it all out. This will give you an accurate, real-time “blueprint” for your upcoming job search. For instance, you might love the current work hours of your job, and you might love the fact that you’re part of a closely-knit team that offices together in a smallish space, but you hate that you have to make a minimum of thirty cold calls per day, and you hate that you’re not allowed to participate in the weekly management meetings, even though you’re a front line supervisor. Insights such as these will be valuable as you begin your job search—and the best time to formulate a vision of your perfect job is now, while you’re stuck in a less-than-ideal one.

3. Assuming that company culture doesn’t matter. Don’t underestimate the importance of company culture! Research shows that it’s far more important to your job satisfaction and happiness than your title, your salary, or the specific tasks you perform during your workday. So before you send out your resumes, check out a prospective company’s website, call their HR department and ask a few questions, read up on what others say about the company on sites like glassdoor.com—do whatever you can to gain some insights before you make the leap. You’re far more likely to find happiness in a company that fits your personal style and way of being.

4. Not making use of your network. Rather than randomly blundering off into the job market, now is the perfect moment to use the network of professional and personal contacts you’ve built up over the past several years. Do some checking around. Ask everyone you know. Research by glassdoor, CNN, and LinkedIn all show that your chances of landing an excellent job increase significantly when you “know someone” within (or associated with) a prospective organization. So tell people what you’re looking for, and include as many specific details as you possibly can. Networking does work!

However, I need to add two important words of caution: 1.) Some companies, if they find out you’re looking for a new job, won’t like it and might ask you to leave immediately, so be cautious when speaking with your contacts in your current place of employment. 2.) Make sure, as you query your contacts about new employment opportunities, that you describe only what you want in a new job, and not what you don’t like about your current job. Keep it positive, just in case it does get back to your current employer—no sense in making a bad situation worse.

5. Sending out generic cover letters to accompany your resume. Minimally, your cover letters, whether sent via email or through the postal service, must be customized with the company’s name, the department you’re applying to, and the job you’re applying for. Studies show that customized cover letters get read and responded to far more than “To whom it may concern” letters. With a customized cover letter, you look like you’re interested in one specific job, rather than any old job, and that you’re interested in one specific company, rather than whatever company happens to be hiring. Furthermore, I recommend taking customization a few steps further—and I do realize that I’m suggesting a more labor-intensive way of sending out resumes, but I think it’s worth it:

A.  Call the company you’re applying to and ask for the actual name of the person who’ll be reading your resume. If at all possible, address the cover letter to them specifically, as in “Dear Ms. Wilkins,” or “Dear Mr. Lopez.”

B.  Reread the job description or the “want ad,” and then customize the body of the letter to fit exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate. For instance, if they say they’re looking for “motivated self-starters,” tell them you’re “a highly motivated individual who’s known to be a self-starter.” Or if they say they want someone who’s “familiar with Microsoft Excel,” let them know that you’ve “worked in Excel for the past five years” (if it’s true, that is!). This is a subtle, almost imperceptible strategy, and it works: You’re feeding a slightly different version of their words back to them, which is why you sound so appealing to the cover letter reader.

C.  Check out the company culture via the company’s website, news releases, glassdoor, or any other means you can think of. Is the company culture relaxed and casual? Formal and businesslike? Playful? Serious? Young and hip? Techno-edgy? Then make your cover letter’s style match the style of the company you’re applying to. Again, it’s subtle, but you want to sound as if you already work there. They’ll be more likely to call you if they think you’re going to be a good fit for the organization.

That’s it for this week, and good luck on your job search! Do you have a subject you’d like me to cover, or a question you’d like for me to answer? Most of my topic ideas come from my readers and followers, so please feel free to send me your suggestions!