Job Board Detox Challenge

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Are you ready for the Job Board Detox Challenge?

Yes, that’s right! I dare you to take the whole month of August and ignore the job boards.

Before you think I am crazy… I am not the first to think of this. My colleague and fellow career expert, Jason Alba, tossed it out to fellow career experts at the end of June when he wrote this to his audience on JibberJobber.

I read his article and completely agreed. Here is why I agree with Jason and his ideas.

There is too much reliance on job boards. Bottom-line: too many job seekers spend too much time and energy on the job boards thinking it will solve their situation. It won’t. They won’t.

Generally, people don’t mean to waste time on the job boards, but before they know it, hours have gone by with little traction. By eliminating the wasted time on job boards, you can spend your time doing more effective techniques.

I see many job seekers hide behind the time they spend on the boards. It proves nothing and does nothing.

So what do you do instead? Plan and execute a targeted job search.

1. Identify your company “bucket list.” Make the list of the companies, whether they have openings or not, that resonate with you and the type of work you want to do.
2. Research each company to find out the challenges and opportunities (not necessarily jobs, opportunities can be market growth/expansion/buying a new business) that you can help them with.
3. Find contacts that can get you connected to the person who has the authority to hire you. Ask that contact to hand deliver your resume to the hiring manager/executive. Yes, this is not easy and it takes work, but it will pay off.
4. Get in front of that hiring executive/manager. Tell them how you can help them with their challenge/opportunity. Show your value. Talk your story. And remember the buying motivators.

So are you game? Job Board Fast for August?

You can do it and you’ll see results. Don’t want to do it alone? Join a community of job seekers helping each other out.

Job board detox image from Bigstock

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4 Comments

1. 

   Ramesh

   January 11, 2013 at 7:35 AM

   I agree with Peter. While these could be good advise for those already having a job and wanting to move on to ‘greener pasture’, it’s quite an uphill task for those NOT having a job to actually reach the hiring managers, who are firewalled by their cronies / minions.

   Reply
2. 

   Kevin

   August 17, 2012 at 6:28 AM

   is it too late to start this? i’m hardly touching boards since calls come to me and recruiters won’t stop calling me.

   Reply
3. 

   Oliver Brown

   August 14, 2012 at 5:46 PM

   Interesting interview and post, but I have been trying to find ways to branch out from just posting online. Found some local network events coming up for networking with hiring firms, and another for building your brand. I have to pull away from the PC and spend time at the library just to clear the mind, it actually helps.

   Looking forward to more updates and advice on the August challenges.

   Reply
4. 

   Peter Brockman

   August 13, 2012 at 6:45 AM

   It must be quite a luxury to have a job and pat yourself on the back for handing out useless “advice.”

   “Get in front of that hiring executive/manager.” Obviously, if a person truly had that deep a network to be able to get around the myriad of HR “gatekeepers” (flunkies) then he/she would already have a job.

   Bottom line, these tips might make sense for someone already employed seeking a change, but when a person faces the same financial obligations he or she has always faced, with dwindling (or nonexistent) resources to meet those obligations, then the “advice” provided in this article is useless.

   Reply