Recently, I had to attend an orientation for my daughter’s upcoming sixth grade environmental camp session.
(Stick with me, I have a point.)
While there, the presenter from the camp discussed their goal is to focus on “experiential learning” as a way to develop the students creative and critical thinking skills. She said the exercises are designed to get the kids to achieve more than they thought they were capable of by showing them how to work together to use their collective knowledge to find solutions.
She also said it would get them to push past their fears of failure and give them a safe environment to use trial-and-error as a way to get results. And then she ended by telling us her favorite quote related to the power of experiential learning:
Your life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
As soon as I heard it, I thought of all the job seekers out there who are slowly dying inside. Who are becoming more fearful with every passing day that they will never find work.
Meanwhile, they are retreating further and further into themselves, just trying to stay comfortable and to minimize the pain... the exact opposite of what they should be doing.
If you’ve been doing the same job search technique for months and the only thing it’s gotten you is depressed and frustrated then I have news for you: You are doing it wrong.
The majority of job search techniques today are useless.
Why?
The job seeker doesn’t start with the right information and strategy. It’s like trying to drive to Boston from San Francisco using a map of Miami – it doesn’t work! Until you have a clear sense of A) who you are as a professional, B) what your ideal employer is, and C) how those two intersect, you will not be able to get employers to connect with you.
Example: You’re a Business-of-One
If you think about it, you are a business-of-one trying to sell your services. Currently, you’ve been "spraying and praying" your sales message – blasting off resumes and cover letters to companies you’ve never met, just hoping they like what they see.
It’s ineffective because it’s impersonal.
Good business owners understand sales is about relationship building. They know how to connect with their customers. More importantly, they only spend time focusing on nurturing their relationships with their ideal customers. This is what today’s job seeker must do. And yet, nobody taught this in school.
So, job seekers continue to market their businesses-of-one in a way that fails them. It’s time to change your approach. It’s time to get out of your job search comfort zone and learn a new, more rewarding way to run your business-of-one’s marketing campaign.
I’m Holding the Answer Hostage... Here’s Why
Over at my site, CareerHMO, I am offering job seekers a free video tutorial series on the “Ultimate Technique for an Easier Job Search.”
However, I’m holding it hostage for your e-mail address.
Why?
If you aren’t going to commit to the educational process, I’m not going to give my information away. It’s that simple.
Nothing is free in life. At least anything worth having. We all have to pay for things of value in some way. In this case, you are going to give me your e-mail address so I can start giving you coaching advice.
GET ACCESS NOW ►
It’s time to start your job search life – let’s get you out of your comfort zone!
Job search comfort zone image from Shutterstock
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
Bigstock
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
Bigstock
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
Bigstock
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!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Recently, I had to attend an orientation for my daughter’s upcoming sixth grade environmental camp session.
(Stick with me, I have a point.)
While there, the presenter from the camp discussed their goal is to focus on “experiential learning” as a way to develop the students creative and critical thinking skills. She said the exercises are designed to get the kids to achieve more than they thought they were capable of by showing them how to work together to use their collective knowledge to find solutions.
She also said it would get them to push past their fears of failure and give them a safe environment to use trial-and-error as a way to get results. And then she ended by telling us her favorite quote related to the power of experiential learning:
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
