What is the current picture of the career marketplace? Some statistics are downright dispiriting. For example, the US Labor Department reports 7.2 million jobs lost in the US economy from December 2007 to December 2009, and a recent study shows that two thirds of those finding work are accepting jobs at 28% lower wages.
The flipside of this, though, is that job-seekers are actually landing. Workforce flexibility means people are exercising ingenuity and creativity to put their skills to work – not always in the most desirable situations, but at least they are getting back into the workforce.
The million dollar question, of course, is, What does this all mean for you? Finding a job often seems like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Here is a reminder about the basic structure of a job search campaign with some tips for keeping yourself on track:
- Develop a strategy, execute the plan
- Identify prospective targets
- Prepare your elevator speech and resume
- Network, network, network
- Prepare for interviews, negotiate the offer
We all know a job search is not linear and that there are often times that a lot of effort seems to bear little reward. The trick is to ask yourself if your efforts are strategic or just “busy work”. Without a determined, daily plan, you can easily fall prey to the most common, counter-productivity traps that plague jobseekers: getting stuck in procrastination or analysis paralysis; leaping to action without thought, or getting mired in disorganization and lack of follow through.
Putting careful thinking, talking and research time into identifying prospective employers is well worth it. In doing so, you are more deliberate and more proactive, you are following your interests and natural curiosity, and you are more likely to stumble across opportunities by uncovering possible areas of need that also match your skills. This plan is subtly different from scouring job boards and responding to what’s out there where you only passively add your resume into the ring along with everyone else.
Your resume is only one piece of your self-marketing armory, but it requires a lot of your attention. When you read it with fresh eyes, do you feel proud of the accomplishments you listed? Do you come across as someone you would like to hire or with whom you would like to work? If you are bored by your own resume (or if it is sloppy, cluttered, unattractive or unappealing in any other way), then please take the trouble to re-do it. If you don’t have a sense of passion, excitement or accomplishment emanating from your resume, how will you stand out from the crowd? In an era when it is not uncommon for 125 resumes or more to show up for each position, it is not only essential to describe your skills and experiences crisply and accurately, but it is also important for some extra qualities to shine through to attract the reader and to take the application one step further.
In a “network economy”, your “elevator speech” is another way to effectively market yourself with both old friends and colleagues and with new contacts. Prepare a few sentences using this format:
- Brief description of who you are/what you have been doing recently
- Brief description of what you are interested in doing
- Polite request about what kind of help you might require from the person
Example: “I’ve spent the past x years helping y-type of organization to [name benefit/outcome of your work rather than just giving the job title or responsibility]. Now I’m looking to expand my role to/change my focus to/increase my responsibilities to/apply my knowledge of…to… I wonder if you know anyone who could talk to me about/would you have any ideas about…”
Keep the tone conversational, don’t make it salesy, be genuinely interested in learning about what the other person has to say and keep your ears open for opportunities to be helpful yourself. Remember, never to come across as desperate – being too eager, too pushy, too intense – in any way.
Practice until this feels quite natural. Next week, we will talk about prepping your references and preparing for your interview.
Fredia Woolf , founder of Woolf Consulting, helps people to manage change and achieve positive results for their careers, teams and organizations. As an organizational consultant and leadership coach, she works with clients to increase their effectiveness and impact, to manage transitions successfully, and to define and create a leadership legacy. She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.
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Last updated on March 14th, 2010 at 07:17 am
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