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Many of my clients receive 2, 3 or even 4 job offers in a 10-day period, after 4-8 weeks of serious job seeking. How could that possibly happen in this job market? Well, it’s actually very simple. It’s a matter of campaigning for a job, creating momentum, and then bringing it all to a crescendo at the end—a beautiful finale that gives you choices and leverage to negotiate your best deal. Here are some tips to make this happen in your job search: Professional career coaches agree that focus is critical in your job search. I am really proud and pleased to be quoted several times in this MSN CareerBuilder article: “I’ll Take Anything”: Three Words That Will Kill Your Job Search,
One of my clients told me he was planning on meeting a former coworker for lunch. This could be a good chance to network into a new company, complete with a recommendation from a current employee. “Should I give him my resume? I don’t feel it’s ready yet.” The answer: NO! Where is it written that people can demand a resume, even if you feel you’re not yet ready? What if you are seeking a career change, but don’t yet know how to frame your experience? What if you have NO IDEA what to apply for? It’s better in these circumstances to hold back, focus on your research, refine the resume, and send it along a week or two later, when YOU are ready. Of course, you might miss out on a great job opportunity. Then again, you might have missed out because your resume wasn’t up to par, anyway. Time and time again, I see job seekers who find the “perfect” job for them. Then, they lose the opportunity and feel they have to start all over again. They direct all their efforts toward that one job. Their hearts are set on it. Then, the job posting closes, they don’t get a call, and they lose before the race begins. To avoid this deflating feeling, you need to have many job prospects in play. For my clients, I recommend at least five. Here are some ideas, just in case you are “starting over” your job search after a disappointment: 1. Consider other jobs at the same company. It’s likely that the company has more than one open position if they are hiring. Apply for several others that fit your skills. Here is a story from a wonderful book called Life is a Verb. A college ceramics teacher decided to do an experiment with his two fall pottery classes. He told one class that they would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced that quarter—that their grade depended on the number of pots they threw. So, the more the better! The second class was told that their grade was determined by the quality of their work and that they only needed to produce one “perfect” pot. Question: Which group do you think received the highest grades? It’s an ancient tradition to bring gifts when meeting someone for the first time. Heads of State do it, Michelle Obama did it. Even the three kings brought gifts to the baby Jesus. When interviewing for a job, it’s not expected that you bring a physical gift. But, if you are really savvy, you will bring an intellectual gift to your interviewer. Remember that you are being evaluated on your thinking skills. Find a way you can contribute to the business, bringing in expertise you have gained from other jobs. Study the company website and read all the press stories you can find. Chances are, you have something to contribute—an idea, a provocative question, even a story about a similar challenge another company faced. There is some risk to this strategy: your ideas might be slightly off because you don’t know the full story. However, if you present your work with that caveat, the prospective employer will respect your effort, thinking, proactivity, and your professionalism in preparing these documents. Here are some types of Interview Gifts you can provide: Cover letters can be intimidating. You want to help your resume stand out, yet it seems you’ve already said all the good stuff in the resume. Do you even need a cover letter today? Some experts say “yes” and some say “no.” It’s better to err on the side of safety and write a great cover letter (cover email) that is personalized to every job Tell the job you are applying for. Begin by stating something like: “I am proud to submit my resume for the position of Regional Marketing Director.” Most companies have several openings. Be sure you state which one is of interest to you. Tell how you learned about the job. HR managers want to know if their internet listings are generating qualified applicants. If you learned about the position from CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, or even the company website, say so. Job seekers who keep at it are even more likely to be hired during the holiday season. Here are some reasons why: There is less competition. You can be sure lots of your fellow job seekers are laying off during the last 60 days of the year. If you stick with it, you’ll make a great impression and have less competition. HR Managers have year-end deadlines, too. The new year brings a new budget. Toward the end of the fiscal year, hiring managers may have a number of new positions to fill. They will be evaluated on whether they get the job done. You could be just the person they are looking for. So, don’t hesitate—send your resume, return phone calls, and ask for the interview. Continue reading Don’t Stop Job Seeking During this Holiday Season |
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Copyright © 2012 Catherine Jewell – the Career Passion Coach - All Rights Reserved |
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