This program is different from most other job search programs because I reject the idea job search is an effective activity or, that it works at all. As you will see during our time together, career and job transition is a process not a search. Whether you are a graduating student or seasoned professional, career and job transition can be compared to planning and orchestrating a political campaign. Politicians who seek to get ‘hired’ for elected office do not conduct a political search; they conduct a strategic campaign. So must you. And once you embrace this new way of thinking, you will 1) have much more control over your future, 2) secure rewarding opportunities quickly at the pay you deserve and 3) genuinely enjoy the process! I have worked with people who have been unexpectedly terminated, downsized, rightsized and capsized. I have worked with those who have bosses from you-know-where, who are stressed out from working in toxic environments and who are toiling every day at jobs that are downright uninspiring. Many clients and audiences I have addressed over the past 20-plus years are still in “what do I want to be when I grow up?” mode. And yet others are hampered by golden handcuffs; cuffed to an unexciting and taxing job. They are unable to seek out new opportunities because they can’t relinquish their current job because of economic and financial considerations and are so exhausted and stressed out at the end of the day, they haven’t the energy to pursue a better position. Finally, I have worked with employees wanting to start their own enterprises as well as entrepreneurs wanting to convert to employees. I know you and the challenges you face. When I graduated from the University of New Hampshire in the mid 1970’s, the unemployment rate was near 8%. It took me months to find a management trainee job that paid just ten cents over minimum wage! However, I accepted the job and worked my way up to an operations manager in just 6 months. Then, at age 26, I quit my job and started my own company and sold it for a handsome profit at age 30. I subsequently went into business in partnership with a French company and proceeded to lose just about everything by the time I was 31 years old. I came close to bankruptcy. I continued to struggle finding my place in the labor market over the next seven years. Then, in 1991, one of my best friends hired me as his marketing director. A year later he fired me. Well, actually, he was conveniently out of town, so he had my secretary inform me I was fired when I returned from my vacation. How many people are fired by their secretaries on orders from one of their best friends? So there I was, 39 years old, broke and broken. I was broke financially. I was broken physically; 15 pounds out of shape. And most critically, I was broken emotionally. I had lost my confidence, my dignity and any hope for the future. I was forced to reinvent myself but had idea how to do it. So I sought out and worked with some of the world’s most reputable coaches, poured through more than 1,000 books and audiotapes and, by the age of 45, found my passions, became an industry leader and well-respected author and national trainer. The point I am making is I have experienced much of what you are currently experiencing. I’ve been there, done that and worn that tee-shirt. But I succeeded as will you. Since 1993, I have interviewed thousands of hiring managers, HR professionals and executive recruiters to determine what they look for and what they want when they are hiring. Armed with this information, I discovered most of what you’ve been taught about the job search makes no sense, is contrary to effective and accepted methods of marketing and is an exercise filled with fear and anxiety; not excitement and anticipation. So I set out to identify a common sense and motivational process that would successfully work for anyone…and found it! Since then, I have assisted tens of thousands of people to clearly identify, pursue and achieve meaningful jobs and career objectives. So I invite you to spend some time with me in this webinar so you too can achieve all you deserve. In fact, I invite you to treat our time together as an enjoyable journey that will do for you what it did for me…give you confidence, self-respect and genuine enthusiasm for creating a better future. Sorry, this event already happened! Please go to our webinar page to review our upcoming FREE webinars. You can also check out our past events in the archive section.| |
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.