It's been a few months. You've had no bites on interviews, and you feel your resume is going straight into the digital trash. You may be asking yourself, "Is my job search doomed?"
Related:18 Easy Conversation Starters For Networking Events
You're job search is not doomed, but without networking you'll suffer a longer, more difficult one.
Although networking is important, it is only one piece in a multiple-channel job search marketing strategy. You help yourself best by working all your channels. Some other channels are:
Online networking portholes such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace
Recruiters and search Firms
Job sites such as Indeed, LocalJobNetwork, Ladders, and CareerBuilder
Targeted mailing and informational interviewing
Career fairs, trade associations, and community organizations
Nevertheless, many jobs are found by being at the right place at the right time and that means a lot of deliberate networking. Some may say, "Being at the right place at the right time is all luck." I don’t. I say it is resultant of "preparation" meeting "opportunity."
If you are not prepared, you may have opportunities looking you in the face and never know it; or you may recognize an opportunity and not be prepared to take advantage. It's only when preparation and opportunity meet you are likely to win a job.
The Caveat
Opportunity is actually a compound-variable in the equation. The other piece to “opportunity” is “time.” In other words, you can be in a lot of right places (potential opportunities) and be prepared for each, but without a crystal ball you will not know it's the right time until you get there.
So, you must be in a lot of right places at ONE time. Implementing a strategy using multiple channels simultaneously will virtually have you in many places at one time. Equation solved! Of course everyone will say, "You were lucky." I'll say, “You were prepared.”
As for the networking piece of the simultaneous multiple-channel marketing strategy...
I will tell you what I tell those who have substantial networks and still suffer hard times: Make it easy for others to help you and they will. Whether you are looking to build a network or jump-starting a stalled (existing) network, here are several tips that can help:
1. Start building permanent relationships while you are still employed.
2. Become known in professional associations.
3. Reacquaint yourself with peers in other companies.
4. Push out emails to update friends and acquaintance.
5. Know yourself. What it is you stand for; what drives you; what it is you value; why it is you do what you do.
6. Demonstrate how focused you are and tell others how to help. ( i.e. leads, additional targets and referrals)
7. Be in the "know." Know your market. Stay informed of changes and events; the flow of money and movement of people; signals of things to come (markets; companies; industries; players).
8. Have a communication strategy that captures and presents your strengths, competencies and verifiable experiences in 15 to 30-second stories.
9. Set up meetings with contacts to share your strategy and ask for suggestions.
10. Talk to your competition - a source for information that also may be looking for someone.
11. Do your homework! Take the time to understand other people’s agendas before setting up a meeting for your own.
12. Encourage brainstorming; ask open-ended questions.
13. Use simple language when talking with others. Don’t make the listener plow through jargon.
14. Be entrepreneurial! Think and act creatively. (i.e. consider joining or starting a small venture with other knowledgeable professionals)
15. Finally, call a friend and get energized before calling a contact for a meeting.
There’s plenty more on this subject. These are only some tips that hopefully will get you motivated. Whether you are employed “but looking” or unemployed and “need to look;” whether you are networking for the first time or re-energizing a current network, rebuilding past relationships and developing new ones should be a deliberate and ongoing practice throughout your career.
This post was originally published on an earlier date.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
