Here it is - short and sweet. Most of you wouldn’t think you could apply these same job search techniques to your line of work. Well, I'm here to say you are probably wrong, and just need some creative adjustments in your thinking and awareness.
I recently hired Pam to do a little work for me. She got the job instantly. How did she get the job? It was actually very easy.
Did she send a resume? Nope. References? Nope. Did I know her? Nope. Did a friend refer her? Nope.
She simply downloaded an e-book I had written, edited the first page, sent it to me and created her own job!
Now, I was no English major, and I tend to write like I talk. This isn't always the best format, and it's certainly not proper. And, of course, even though numerous people proofread the book, it still had typos and your basic grammatical errors.
Yes, I hired her on the spot via e-mail. No resume, no references, no interview. Her sample work was all of those and better! She answered all three questions every interviewer wants to know:
Do I like you?
Will you do the job?
Can you do the job?
But, most people are not willing to show their work before getting paid. Essentially, it's an on-the-job interview. I can actually hear your pessimism now: Pam has it easy, there are thousands of e-books all over the Internet and most of them are probably written by laymen (like myself).
So, how can this work for you if you are a more traditional worker? Well first of all, you have to give Pam credit. Yes, there are thousands of e-books on the Internet and there are also thousands of writers out of work. But, she is the ONLY one who did what she did.
4 Creative Ways To Get Work
Here are a couple of interesting ways to be the ONLY one in your field getting work.
1. Send An Old Project
Package a project you worked on in the pastand send it via snail mail (package) to companies you feel might get solid benefit from it. Stick with small companies who NEED help (like me), have fewer resources (like me), and will really appreciate what you can bring to the table. Small businesses are the backbone of America, but they just don’t get the great press that big, public companies do. In down economies, they are the only ones hiring.
2. Make Coupons
Put together a simple coupon offering your services as a consultation for one hour, including a free write-up. You can have 100+ post cards printed up for about $25 or less at the local print shop. Canvas the small businesses around your home. Especially if you have an industrial park close by. There are probably hundreds of small businesses you are not even aware of.
3. Make Coupons, But Offer Strictly Contract Work
Did you know contract work has exploded recently? Why? Because companies still have work that needs to be done but they are on a shoestring budget and can’t make a long term commitment. But, you get the opportunity to highlight your skills, make great connections and get referrals like crazy.
So, explain the benefits of what you can do for a company as a contractor on a postcard and include a link to your LinkedIn profile, an e-mail address (get a free one from Gmail just for this), and a visible phone number. Heck, why don’t you throw in a testimonial (some people call those references) on the card as well?
Here’s the best part. You now have the opportunity to follow up with companies you send your cards or past projects to. It’s your foot in the front door.
Good luck and have fun. You can meet some great people and get a leg up on your next career move.
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
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Make 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
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Are 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.
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
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Your 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.