The Interview Edge

What 'On-the-Job' and 'Looking for a Job' Have on Common

You spend hours preparing for a big presentation.

You conduct meticulous due diligence on a potential client.

You study the competition.

Correspondence or proposals that’ll be going to a potential customer are written and edited carefully.

You and your team conduct multiple dry runs to make sure the demo goes off without a hitch.

You invest a considerable chunk of time creating and updating the roadmap for a high-stakes project.

This type of hard work and preparation on the job is standard operating procedure for you – and countless people just like you. Yet when it comes to the job search, it’s not uncommon for candidates to switch gears and approach the process with a completely different mindset.

If You Were the Hiring Manager, Would You Hire You?

Seriously!

Take off your candidate’s cap and put yourself in the role of hiring manager.

Start with your submission materials – your cover letter and resume. Try to look at them objectively – as if you’re seeing them for the first time. As if you are unfamiliar with the candidate.

Is the person you’re describing someone you’d want to interview?

Do you sound interesting? Unique?

Are your materials full of empty statements, or do you back up what you’ve written with quantifiable information? Do you tell a complete story, or are chunks of it missing?

10 Dangerous Job Search Assumptions

Assumptions can be dangerous, especially in the context of a job search. Below are 10 common notions, any one of which can get you into trouble.

1. I’m a shoo-in for the job.

2. The telephone interview is just a procedure.

3. The hiring company will call me with an update; I’ll wait until I hear from them.

4. I don’t need to prep my references about this opportunity; they know me…whatever they say will be fine.

5. That interview didn’t go well – and it’s the first one of the day. That’ll probably blow me out of the water.

6. My boss is making noise about retiring; I’m finally going to get his job!

7. If I send in enough resumes, I’ll find a job.

8. What a fantastic interview! I knocked it out of the park. They loved me.

9. Cover letters are a waste of time.

10. I’m in the middle of a job search. My co-worker knows about it, but he’s cool.

Assume at your risk.

How Effective is Your Value Proposition?

Can you state it clearly and succinctly?

Do you even have one?

This, of course, is the “elevator speech” concept. All businesses should have a strong value proposition (also known as a unique selling proposition), and so should you.

You need to be able to articulate what’s unique about you…what makes you different from the legions of other candidates out there...and then refine it until you can state it in one sentence. 

Why should the company hire you and not somebody else? You have to be able to show them why you’re the best choice.

You might be a dependable worker – but that doesn’t make you unique.

You’ve got XX years of experience – along with legions of other candidates.

You want the job - not very distinctive.

Think like a business when creating your value proposition. Frame it in terms of the customer (in this case, the hiring company) and what’s “in it” for them.

Once you’ve got it nailed, make sure all your supporting marketing materials (cover letter, resume, thank you notes) either restate or support it.

Show Me the Proof Points!

So…do you want to score an invitation to interview?

Then I’ve got one word for you.

Metrics.

If you want your candidacy to be taken seriously, then you’d better be showing the hiring manager proof points. Meaning you need to demonstrate measurable value.

You can’t expect serious interest from potential employers if your resume reads like an HR-generated job description. Illustrate past performance using measurable criteria and you’ll make your case in a much more compelling way.

Granted, you may not always be able to attach a numerical figure in the traditional sense to each of your contributions. Still – there’s always a way to quantify your work via some sort of metric.

The standard is there. Figure out how to measure it and you’ve got your proof point.

Has Your Job Search Been Unsuccessful? Here’s How to Turn it Around

If you haven’t gotten the kind of results you want out of your search, I have one question for you.

Why not?

That may sound crazy. After all, if you knew why your search wasn’t succeeding, then you’d fix whatever was wrong!

Exactly.

You can’t expect to get where you want to go if you’re stumbling around in the dark. Here’s the thing: it’s up to you to turn on the light.

You have a choice: change things up – or see more of the same frustrating results. I think I know which you’d prefer.

The December Job Search: Everybody Knows Nothing Happens This Time of Year

Don’t listen to everybody, because everybody is wrong.

While it’s true that the pace inevitably slows down at the end of the year, everything on the employment front does not grind to a halt.

Case in point: I know someone who started work yesterday as a senior technical writer for a large software developer; two other acquaintances are interviewing this week.

Hmm...these companies must not have gotten the memo about the holiday moratorium on any and all hiring-related activities.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Holiday Networking Can Be Fun – and Fruitful!

If you’re looking for a job, you’re probably sick of people (like me) telling you how important it is that you diligently work your circle of contacts.

There’s nothing wrong with online job listings and recruiters. Sometimes that’s exactly what will lead you to your next job. It’s a simple fact, though, that your next opportunity is much more likely to come to you via other people. Your network.

Still, you may be feeling like you’ve tapped that resource dry. You’ve talked with everyone you can think of and you can only be in touch so much; you don’t want to wear out your welcome, so to speak.

And while you’ve tried to purposefully expand your connections, maybe that process is taking longer than you’d hoped.

If networking has begun to feel like so much heavy lifting, cheer up; you’re in midst of networking nirvana…the packed holiday social season!

The Holiday Job Search: Futile or Fruitful?

To paraphrase a famous Dickens line, the end-of-year job search is the best of times…and the worst of times.

The six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can be a tough time to look for work. A lot of people are on vacation or otherwise distracted, making it exponentially more difficult to line up interviews and get decisions made. It seems like everything grinds to a halt.

In fact, many job seekers essentially stop searching until January.

(The worst of times – why fight it?)

Feeling Like Your Job Search is Going Nowhere?

Then do something about it.

Of course it’s a tough economy; six people are competing for every job opening. Double digit unemployment makes searching for a job especially hard work – and it isn’t going to get much easier any time soon.

During a protracted economic slump like this, many candidates slip into a mindset of believing they can’t affect anything. They feel like they’re caught in a rip current of circumstances and can’t swim free.

If you’ve been pounding the pavement without getting much in the way of results, you might be at a loss. Nothing seems to be working; your resume isn’t generating responses; you’re not getting interviews.

Are You a Serial Resume Sender?

I ran into an acquaintance the other day who lost her job last February and is still pounding the pavement. In discussing her search, she estimated she’s sent a few thousand resumes-to-date – yet she’s had just two serious interviews. With a smile, she referred to herself as a “serial resume sender.”

That moniker has been kicked around a bit this recession.

Every time I’ve seen or heard it used, it’s been in the context of someone who’s dropped gazillions of copies of his or her resume around town – but remains unemployed.

That’s because the “helicopter drop” strategy is ineffective.

But I Hate Networking!

I feel your pain.

Networking. The very word conjures up all sorts of negative connotations for some people. To them, networking is kind of like an unpleasant medical procedure…you know you’ve got to do it – it’s for your own good – but that doesn’t make it any less loathsome.

Here’s a secret, though. There’s a lot more to “networking” than cocktail receptions or business mixers.

That should be good news to those of you who don’t enjoy those types of settings – and consequently probably don’t get as much out of them as your counterparts who do.

A Job Search Strategy You Don’t Want to Emulate

Pulled from the pages of the newspaper (another example of truth being stranger than fiction):

We have an executive who’s been out of work for more than 18 months; he's stressing about the fact that he hasn’t been able to find anything, his severance package has run out, he's digging deeply into savings - and cash flow is now an all-consuming issue.

Here’s how he says he spends a “typical” day:

Why Are Hiring Companies Being So Picky?

Because they can.

It's a buyers' market; do you expect hiring managers to behave differently than everyone else?

If you’re considering a big-ticket purchase...say, a house...and there's a glut of homes listed for sale (like right now in many markets), you know you can afford to be choosey. There’s no reason to “settle” when you know you don’t have to.

This property doesn’t have an updated kitchen? Keep looking – maybe you can find something better. Smaller closets than what you’d like? Back burner. The next one needs some work? Pass.

The Problem With Taking a Break From Your Job Search

I ran into an acquaintance over the weekend who’s been out of work since spring. She hasn’t gotten much traction with her search…some nibbles here and there, one interview she thought might lead to an offer – but didn’t – and that’s about the extent of it.

She went on to say she’s so disgusted by the fact that she hasn’t been able to generate much interest in her candidacy that she’s going to walk away from her search for the next few months.

Her strategy for now is to do nothing.

Mental Toughness - Good for Athletes...and Job Seekers, Too

My alma mater, the University of Iowa, is having a pretty good year on the football field so far. The Hawkeyes are undefeated and ranked #7 (AP) with the best start in school history. It hasn’t been a cakewalk, though; the team has had to come from behind in all but one of its nine wins.

An interesting mix of talent, luck, and white-knuckle situations has combined to make it a sometimes wild ride.

Last Saturday, after watching quarterback Ricky Stanzi throw five interceptions (four in the 3rd quarter alone, and two of those on back-to-back possessions), I was amazed by what he was able to do after struggling so badly. Stanzi opened the fourth quarter with two impressive touchdown passes; Iowa took the lead and never looked back.

It became a totally different game.

Stanzi made it hard on himself, no doubt. I’m sure some of those picks were pretty deflating in the moment.

But the kid ultimately showed what he was made of – and there’s a lesson in there about mental toughness that applies to job seekers, too.

How Long is it Going to Take to Land a Job?

The Labor Department reported in September that it now takes unemployed workers an average of 27.2 weeks to find work.

That’s roughly 8 weeks longer than it took in September of last year - and it’s safe to assume that number will continue to rise.

So…if you’ve been out of work for a while and are getting a little frustrated with the pace of your search, understand that you aren’t some sort of anomaly. Slow going is the new normal.

That said, you can do a lot to expedite the process.

How exactly do you spend your time searching? What tactics do you employ?

If your idea of a constructive job search is hanging around online looking at postings for an hour or two a day – prepare to dig in for the long haul. You’re not going to get very far very quickly.

You can choose the easy search, or the strategy that’s going to generate results. It’s up to you.

The Interview Edge - required reading for people who are serious about their careers.

Want to Dramatically Improve Your Chances of Job Search Success?

Then remember one important thing: it’s not all about you.

As you’re composing your resume, writing your cover letter, and later when you’re prepping for the interview – put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes and look at your candidacy through that person’s eyes.

It will make a powerful difference.

Sure, you want the job. Or you need the job.

Maybe you think this would be an exceptional career move.

Or you’ve always wanted to work for this company.

And so on.

But none of that matters to the hiring manager right now.

Could Your Job Search Strategy Use an Overhaul?

The other day I quoted Rich Karlgaard, who said that recessions unmask bad business models. As you’ll recall, he wasn’t just referencing companies…he was citing careers, too.

Those bad business models extend to job search strategies.

Remember the dot com bubble? Candidates in the technology sector were riding high. It wasn’t unusual for a person to decide to change employers on a Friday, make a few phone calls, and have a job offer the following week. Actually, it wasn’t uncommon for candidates to have 2-3 competing offers. No exaggeration.

Obviously, it’s always easier to look for work when it’s a seller’s market. If you could guarantee that you’d only have to look for work when the economy was humming along, you’d be in great shape.

Presto! The Job Magically Appears!

We all know that’s fantasy. Employment opportunities don’t fall out of the sky; on the contrary, finding work is hard work.

But do we really believe that?

A lot of job searchers pay lip service to that line, but when push comes to shove, their actions speak louder.

They say they’re devoting all their efforts to finding work, but put in only an hour or two a day.

They have no strategy…no game plan. They poke around want ads and job boards and expect results.

They passively wait for something to happen: for a friend to pass along a lead, for a recruiter to call, or for the market to pick up.

They blanket the town with resumes - many in response to ads which they haven’t bothered to qualify - then sit back and wait for the phone to ring.

They do these sorts of things, essentially going through the motions of a job search, and then wonder why they haven’t found work.

Job Search Seem Like It’s Getting Tougher? You’re Not Imagining Things

It’s challenging trying to land a job right now – and getting more difficult. If you’ve been feeling the pinch and wondering if “it’s just you” rest assured…the phenomenon is real.

Two things are happening concurrently to create a perfect storm of sorts on the employment front.

First, the Labor Department reported last week that the number of available jobs has fallen by a staggering 50 percent-plus over the past two years; in July there were six unemployed people for every job opening. To put that into context, consider that at the beginning of the recession (December 2007) the ratio was 1.72 to 1.

Hope is Not a Strategy

There are a lot of unemployed folks out there who have been out of work for quite a while. Many of them have given up and are no longer looking. They’re the “discouraged workers” you hear about…the ones the government doesn’t even include in its official tally each month.

If you’re unemployed, you are – obviously – not alone. This recession has cost a lot of people their jobs (many of which are never coming back)…and it ain’t over yet. The recovery is going to be lengthy and sluggish.

So…it’s a very competitive market and will remain so for a long time. The industry in which you’ve worked may be undergoing significant change, adding to your challenge. 

What’s your plan? How are you going about finding your next opportunity?

Looking for Work is Hard Work

Job searches aren't cake walks. Especially when the economy is rocky, finding a good opportunity requires skill, creativity, tenacity, perseverance - and hard work. Results aren't going to come overnight.

Sales people know it can take many months of heavy lifting before a deal finally closes. The job search is a sales process, too; don't underestimate the similar investment of time and effort that will be required in order to succeed.

Be proactive. Have a game plan and a daily schedule.

Figure out how to get connected directly with people who are hiring. This requires some ingenuity and determination, and it will definitely take some time - but you'll be miles ahead of the competition, most of whom are content to hang around online looking for postings that seem like a fit.

Don't throw up your hands if nothing has happened within a few weeks. That's something else your competition is going to do. Frustration will set in quickly because their expectations are unrealistic, and they'll start to run out of gas. You, on the other hand, will persevere because you know you're searching smart - and a smart search will generate results in the end.

Employment isn't an entitlement. Offers don't magically appear out of thin air. People don't line up waiting to offer unsolicited leads, advice, and assistance to job seekers. You have to dig in and make it happen...and you will. Hang in there.

The Interview Edge is packed with tips and strategies that will give you a competitive advantage. The link in the right column will take you to the book.

Searching for a Job: You’re in Sales Now

Meet John, a highly successful sales executive. He consistently meets or exceeds budget in an extremely competitive space. His company loves him.

John’s strategy is simple: he regularly sends out a few hundred brochures at a time – cold – to a list of unqualified names he pulls from the internet or various directories lying around the office. Then he sits back and waits for the phone to ring.

It works every time.

In fact, it’s not unusual for potential customers to fight over him, each one trying to coax him to come in and pitch them before he can sell to the competition.

Once a handful of companies express an interest, he decides who’s the most likely to give him the biggest sale, and schedules his calls based on that ranking.

Presto!

Volunteering: It May Be Your Ticket

Whether you're unemployed or left the work force by choice (for example to raise kids or care for an elderly parent), volunteering may be an important key to landing your next job.

If you've thought strategically about the work you've taken on (or are considering), volunteer work may be a great opportunity to add to your skill set, or augment your experience, or provide more meat to your resume.

Don't think it's true? There are plenty of positions out there that will offer you the chance to manage a substantial budget, oversee sizable teams of people - you name it.

Along the way, you might find that you have an affinity for things you haven't necessarily done previously - which could point you in a different (and maybe more lucrative) professional direction. And remember, you're going to meet a lot of people who may end up being valuable members of your network.

Think about it. It could be a move that makes all the difference.

It’s the Economy, Stupid

That phrase, coined during the 1992 Presidential campaign, has since entered political folklore. Let’s borrow it to illustrate a point about finding employment.

Replace “Economy” with “People” and there you have it…the slogan for successful searching. (Okay, so we can lose the “stupid” part.)

Especially when the job market is tight, your strategy needs to involve people. If it doesn’t, then you might want to review and adjust accordingly.

Why? Because your next job will more than likely come from a person, not a posting.

The competition, already fierce, is only going to get tougher. Double-digit unemployment isn't far away. If your main search strategy involves your computer screen and the want ads, you’re going to get left behind in the dust.

You need to tap your current circle of contacts for leads and keep working to increase your network. Determine who you don’t know right now but need to – and figure out how to make that happen. Keep in mind that every contact with another person is a potential networking opportunity.

You can either throw up your hands at the lack of listings (and their generally poor quality), or you can do something about it and change your search methodology.

The latter will generate results. Choose that course.

Why So Many Job Searches Generate So Few Results

Feeling stymied by your search? Thinking your results are less robust than you’d like them to be?

Maybe it’s time to do a return on investment analysis to find out how you can increase or accelerate your gains…just like any business would.

You want to find a job as quickly as possible in a very competitive market. There are only so many hours in a day. It’s imperative that you use that time to its maximum potential.

If you want to succeed, you need to search smart.

Just because you’re investing a lot of time looking for work doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to be successful. It’s what you’re doing – and how you’re doing it – that matters. Especially when it’s a tight buyer’s market, you can’t afford to squander your resources. Inefficiency and ineffectiveness won’t generate much in the way of invitations to interview.

Your Job Search: Avoid the Mandatory Point Deduction

If you’ve ever watched Olympic sports like gymnastics or diving or figure skating, you know all about the concept of the point system. Errors like a step on landing (gymnastics), splash on entry (diving) or under-rotating a jump (skating) result in deductions from the overall score. Serious mistakes can result in mandatory deductions of a high value…like a figure skater who misses a jump and falls.

Too many deductions and your chance of ending up with a medal slips away.

Job searchers, you’re being scored, too – not by the cranky judges from Russia or France, but by just about everyone you encounter at the hiring company. Making matters trickier, the scoring system isn’t completely uniform from one hiring manager to the next – you can expect differences of opinion regarding degree of difficulty, point values, and mandatory deductions - but you may as well be up there on the balance beam or still rings when it’s all said and done because your performance is definitely being judged.

The Job Search: Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

Are you giving prospective employers reasons to knock you out of the process? Particularly now that opportunities are few and far between – and competition for those slots is fierce – you can’t afford to make careless mistakes.

As exhibit A, let’s focus today on your resume.

Follow Directions

Read carefully. Send your resume exactly as instructed. If they’re asking you to paste it into the body of the email, do it. Ignoring the request and sending it as an attachment will knock you out of contention.

What do Chase, CitiGroup and Bank of America Have to do With Your Job Search?

Once upon a time, credit card issuers typically only trimmed credit lines on customers whose behavior suggested they might become a credit risk. For example, late payments, going over an existing credit line, bad credit – those types of things might have triggered the bank to lower the amount of money they were willing to lend.

No more.

It seems pretty much everyone is in the crosshairs of the banks.

They’re now looking at people who have excellent credit and spotless repayment histories. Customers who never carry a balance (i.e. they pay in full each month), pay on time, and have FICO scores as high as 830 are receiving letters indicating their lines of credit have been reduced. I know three people fitting that description who have received such notification in the past few weeks.  

The Job Search: Are You Coming Across as Enthusiastic or Desperate?

Times are tough. A month or two of unemployment can drag on to six or eight months pretty easily. And it’s only going to get worse since the jobs picture lags the state of the economy.

If you’re out of work, you may be getting anxious.

This is understandable.

That said, avoid allowing your apprehension and your zeal to land something to push you over the line. The “candidate as stalker” syndrome won’t generate results. (Actually, on second thought, it might generate a result…but definitely not the one you want.)

This is the person who calls the recruiter every week without fail. “Just checking in,” he says. The recruiter has indicated the firm has no jobs that are a match for this candidate right now…but no matter! What if they forget about him? He’s not going to chance it! (Hey…he’s got this recruiter’s home number. Forget the office; maybe he’ll start calling there…)

This is the person who interviews for a job and starts with the follow-up calls the next day – and phones every day after that. 

Pestering people is not the way to get results. You may be trying to demonstrate that you’re enthusiastic or sincere, but believe me – this is not the message you are sending. You’re showing that person on the other end of the phone that you have exceptionally poor judgment or that you are desperate – and you can count on the fact that it will reflect poorly on you.

Networking With a Purpose

There’s a very good chance your network is going to lead you to your next job. You’ll get a better net return on an hour spent networking than an hour spent scouring job boards online. 

Knowing how important those connections can be, some people turn themselves into networking machines. They go to networking breakfasts, networking social events, networking receptions, networking roundtables, and networking workshops. They sign up for everything and show up at everything.

They invest massive amounts of time. They meet some interesting people – and strike up some acquaintances.

Yet all too often, they fail to find work. And they wonder why.

You, the Candidate: Bargain Basement – or Top Quality?

Everybody likes a bargain. Especially during a tough recession when money is tight, most people are thrilled to find a good buy.

That said, there are times when price isn’t your foremost consideration.

Let’s say you’re purchasing a gift for some sort of special occasion, like a favorite relative’s college graduation. This person is a book lover. You want to present him with a special out-of-print volume he’s had his eye on. It will be a meaningful memento of a special day. You find a copy in good shape a consignment shop, and a beautiful, pristine, leather-bound edition with gilded pages at a specialty bookstore.

Which are you more likely to buy?

Cover Letters and Thank You Notes – Time Wasters or Useful Tools?

Why write these things?

Do you submit a cover because it’s considered “good form?” Or because it’s a necessarily evil…just one more chore on the job hunting to-do list?

Do you send a thank you note because it’s the polite thing to do? Is it a ridiculous relic of a simpler time that ought to be retired?

Newsflash…

Writing a cover letter isn’t an empty exercise.

Sending a thank you note isn’t just a quaint custom.

Good News for Workers over 45!

I thought that might get your attention.

There actually is some good news – the unemployment rate for workers age 45 and older is lower than that of the general population. Experience does count for something.

However….you just knew there was a flip side coming, didn’t you?...if you’re over 45 and you lose your job, watch out. Once you’ve been laid off, all bets are off.

The ranks of the “long-term unemployed” – those people who have been out of work for six months or more – are disproportionally filled with people from this age group. It’ll take you longer to find work, and once you do, there’s a much greater chance you’ll have to take a pay cut.

According to a recent New York Times article, the length of time it’s taking older workers to land new jobs is increasing – and it’s worse this recession than during the downturns of 1982 and 2001.

So. Now you know what’s happening in aggregate. The good news? You can beat the statistics.

You can compete.

You have to know how to market yourself and how to get past the initial gatekeeper. Not easy to do. But by no means is it impossible.

Here’s the thing: you do have advantages. If you know what they are and how to play to your strengths, you can turn the tables. Up for the challenge?

The Standard Cover Letter

Got one?

If you do, you’re like a lot of people.

In fact, I was working with a candidate just last week who sent me her “standard cover” (her phrase) and asked for help sharpening it.

I’ll tell you what I told her…toss it and start from scratch.

Standard isn’t going to cut it, particularly now as the pool of competitors increases every day.

There is no such thing as a “standard cover letter.” Each time you prepare to submit your resume, you should write a new, custom letter. No job opportunity is an exact cookie cutter replica of another. Your cover letters shouldn’t be, either.

Unless you don’t care about getting somebody to read your materials.

If, on the other hand, you’d like someone to actually read your resume and follow it up with a call to invite you in for an interview, give yourself a fighting chance by writing a persuasive, engaging cover tailored to the job and the company in question.

Guilt by Association: Will Your Company’s Poor Performance Make you a Less Desirable Candidate?

This question came in last week; it’s a good one and worth sharing.

The person writing was the VP of Sales for a small startup. Despite its size, the company was well known within its industry due to the high-profile solution it was attempting to roll out.

Ultimately, the company didn’t make it. Unable to secure the next round of financing, it had to sell itself. Quickly.

The writer wondered if his association with this failed company is going to hinder his chances of securing employment.

The short answer? Yes, it is…with some people. And there’s nothing he’s going to be able to do about it.

He needs to recognize this and proceed accordingly.

The Successful Job Search: Separate Yourself From the Competition

Picture this: we’ve got a hotel ballroom full of salespeople attending some sort of regional industry event. Let’s say they’re all software salespeople. And because it’s a regional meeting, it’s safe to assume most (if not all) of these people are based in one geographic area.

Now – suppose we have a job opening for a Regional Sales Manager responsible for moving B2B Procurement/Marketplace software. This might be a good place to find that candidate.

In one sense, everyone in the room is essentially the same. For example, they’re all selling software, they’re located in the same market, and their job responsibilities are very similar.

It’s conceivable, therefore, that every single person here could qualify (on paper) for the job.

What’s going to make one of them stand out from all the rest?

Why Some Job Seekers Get Interviews – and Others Wait by the Phone

When it comes to the job search, some people just seem to have more luck. They’re the ones who get traction…they get called for interviews…things happen for them.

Why is that?

Luck isn’t random. It has a funny way of knocking at the doors of those who are prepared for it. “Lucky” people are the ones who know how to look for and identify it; they’re the ones who lay the necessary foundation that enables luck to pay a visit.

Some people do get a lot of interview activity...more than most. But not because they're lucky.

Here’s the key: it’s the referral.

Probably the most significant factor when it comes to whether or not a person’s candidacy is going to go anywhere is the “inside connection.”

Keep Your Job Search to Yourself

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “Loose lips sink ships.”

To avoid the inadvertent disclosure of important information to the enemy during World War II, soldiers were instructed to be careful about what they included in letters home – and to be even more vigilant about their conversations when on leave.

Slip-ups in letters would likely be caught by the censor; loose talk, on the other hand, had no such filter and could be disastrous.

Think of your job search in the same way.

Practice self-censorship. Keep your mouth shut.

Is Your Job Search Stalled?

Maybe the market is trying to send you a message.

It could be some sort of issue with the product (you). Maybe it has something to do with the way the product is connecting with the market. Or there could be something about the market itself that’s contributing to your predicament (aside from the obvious recession).

Time for a jump start. A situational analysis may suggest what you can do to adjust.

Job Search Toolkit: What About a Professional Blog?

An extremely competitive job market calls for creative measures. When it comes to your search, a professional blog is one tactic you might use as you strive to differentiate yourself and promote your personal brand.

Think of this as a sort of electronic brochure. With it, you’ll be able to showcase your background, create a credible, convincing impression of yourself, and further extend your professional network. 
 
Due to the inherent constraints associated with website optimization, readers aren’t going to suddenly find your blog via internet searches, so don’t expect potential employers to magically flock to you in droves. That’s not how you’ll use it.

First Impressions and the Job Search

We all know first impressions are important. Fairly or not, we pretty much make up our minds about people within the first few minutes after we’ve met them. Very rarely, we might change our impression over time, but typically the initial evaluation stands. It’s nearly impossible to change someone’s mind after they’ve formed an opinion about you.

It’s no different when you’re searching for work. How successful you’ll be as a candidate has everything to do with first impressions.

Looking for Work? Don’t be Shy

If you’re seeking employment, now’s not the time to be a wallflower. Especially if you tend to be a little bit reserved, do yourself a favor and try to counteract the inclination.

Speak up
People can’t help you if they don’t know about your situation. If your job has been eliminated, or you think you might be laid off, tell people. Don’t be timid. And by all means, don’t be embarrassed. Unfortunately, you have lots of company. People aren’t going to think less of you because you lost your job.

It’s very likely you’re going to find your next opportunity through your network. Somebody is going to know someone who can help you…someone will pass along a valuable tip…someone may know about a job that’s about to open up at his company.

The Power of Your Unique Selling Proposition - Show the Hiring Manager What Sets You Apart

Why should a company hire you?

How are you different from, and more valuable than, the competition?

You'll gain an advantage if you think of yourself as a product and your search as a marketing campaign designed to move that product.

Every product has a unique selling proposition (USP). For a product to break through the clutter and succeed, it's crucial that the company correctly identify a compelling USP, match it to the market, and communicate that message effectively.

Identifying the USP pretty much boils down to this: what kind of problem does the product solve? What makes it unique? Why is it better than the next product on the shelf?

Has Your Job Search Knocked the Confidence Out of You?

Searching for a job can be challenging, even in the best of times.

Obviously, this isn’t the best of times – meaning if you’re unemployed and looking for work, the process may be dragging on. After months of searching without securing an offer, a sense of pessimism can creep into your thinking. You can start to lose confidence.

This is perfectly understandable. Still, you’ve got to make a conscious effort to maintain a positive attitude. If you don’t, you run the risk of catapulting your job search into the land of the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Potential employers can sense your lack of confidence. Which makes you a weaker candidate. You don’t perform as well during interviews. Which further erodes your self-confidence. And the vicious cycle continues.

8 Job Search Myths – Busted

The best qualified individual gets the job.

Actually, it’s the best candidate who gets the job. That person may or may not be the best qualified. Understand the difference.

Job boards are the best source of leads.

Your network is the best source of leads. It’s fine to check online and to peruse the want ads…but don’t spend an inordinate amount of time there. Most jobs are never posted.

It’s nearly impossible to find those hidden jobs.

Not if you put some work into it, and if you’re purposeful about how you go about it. Remember, the best way into the hidden market is through contacts with others. Make sure people know about your search. They can’t help you if they don’t know you’re looking. Keep working to expand your network. Every meeting with another person is a potential networking opportunity. Think about who might be able to help you – even if it’s someone you don’t know yet – and figure out how you can go about meeting that person.

How Flexibility Can Dramatically Impact Your Job Search

There’s no denying the fact that the recession makes it more difficult to find work. Still, there are plenty of candidates who are their own worst enemy. They let inflexibility kill their chances of finding work.

There are jobs to be had; companies are hiring. However, it’s a seller’s market – not only are you going to have to put more effort into your search, you’re going to need to give a little bit if you want to find those jobs….and get an offer.

First up: geography. If you live in an area with extremely high unemployment, you may need to broaden your horizons. Remember, that 7.2% rate is the national average. Various metropolitan areas are staggering under rates north of 9%...same goes for some states, like Rhode Island and Michigan. Obviously, the reverse is also true, with other areas in much better shape.

Networking: Who You Don’t Know

Your network is extremely valuable; there’s a good chance you’re going to find your next job through the people you know.

Every contact with another person is a potential networking opportunity...and I’m not just talking about business functions or industry events. People you see at the gym, other parents from your child’s school, people at church, somebody you run into at the deli, the person who cuts your hair, the people at the wedding reception you’ll be attending this weekend…you never know where that golden lead is going to come from.

The smart job seeker is always working to increase his or her network.

And the smartest job seekers? They’re looking to accomplish that goal just a little bit differently from the way the majority of the crowd seeks to do so.

Job Search Resolution #5 - Make Your Own Breaks

Opportunity is more likely to come knocking for those who have cleared a path and made it a little bit easier for it to get to the front door.

You've got to make your own breaks. Nobody else is going to do it for you.

The Federal Government may have you thinking otherwise, but there's no bailout waiting for you or me.

There's no one out there who's going to find you your next job, or make sure your career progresses just the way you want it to. Nobody is going to swoop in and guarantee you a lifetime of job security.

No good guys in white hats. No dragon slayers.

It's up to you to make things happen.