HOW DO YOU START A SUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH? 1/2

HOW DO YOU START A SUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH 2/2

As a job seeker, are you prepared to enter today's job market? Let's see, shall we

01. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Job Search is one of the toughest emotional roller-coaster rides of your life. You need Emotional support. You also need to be Accountable to your peers, NOT to your spouse.

KEY: First you have to get closure over losing your last job, or you won’t interview well. Get help if you need it! There is NO shame.

• You also need to have peers who can assist you with your questions. They can also encourage you and hold you accountable for your efforts. That’s what Job Search Work Teams do for you.

KEY: Job Search is a full-time job! 40 hours per week. But plan to spend ten of those hours doing “Self-Care” things that improve your emotional well-being, like family time, volunteering, exercise, or hobbies. This is part of job search because you need it to both network and interview well.

SUGGESTION: Read "Never Search Alone" by Phyl Terry

02. BUDGET: MONEY IS TIME, TIME IS MONEY

• Because of the major impact of running out of money, you need to budget FIRST, so you know how long you have before you need to start to go for a "Survival Job." Allow at least two months to find and land that job.
• Job Search is not for the poor. You may need to buy a modern interview wardrobe, a smartphone, a computer, a printer, business cards, and attend some professional memberships or classes. There will be lots of cups of coffee networking and putting miles on your car.

03. FOCUS: Always Focus your efforts on just one or two specific roles.

• The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is your enemy. It only finds resumes customized to a specific job. That’s why a “shotgun” resume doesn’t work anymore. The reason for the ATS is the massive volume of applications, typically between 200 & 1,500/week (if not more). Of those, between 60% & 90% won’t be qualified. (Don't quote me on these numbers, ask my buddy, Amy Miller . (Warning she is not the faint of heart.) I love you, Amy. ??
• You are wasting your time and “burning contacts” if you try to network without a very specific job in mind. The “Shotgun Approach” rarely works when it comes to networking because people don’t know how to help you ... So, they will feel awkward and will avoid you. Be precise.
• If this is you, Stop Networking, you are just only hurting yourself. Focus on what you have done best over the years, even if it wasn’t your most recent job, and then restart your networking at the top of your contacts list. Usually once people “Focus” on a specific target role, they usually can land fairly quickly.

KEY: Develop a 9-12 word “Branding Statement” based on your focus that you use to introduce yourself.

KEY: Create a “Marketing Plan” that will serve as a map to guide you in your efforts, so you don’t waste time.

04. RESUME/CV

Nobody reads resumes anymore. Who has the time?

• Eye motion studies show that resumes are NEVER read, they are visually scanned for 6-12 seconds. Make it easy to scan. Use lots of white space, and no font smaller than 10 pt.
• Hard copy two pages max (CVs can be longer. While a CV for a mid-career professor can be 20 pages long, it's okay if your CV as you start graduate school is similar in length and content to your resume, including sections such as education, experience, relevant coursework, and honours and awards.), but the 6-second rule still applies.
• Your resume is not your entire work history. Rather, it is an advertisement. It’s like a sales brochure that is intended to get them to want to talk to you.

KEY: You will be hired for your RESULTS, NOT your Responsibilities. Don't waste time talking about your responsibilities. Talk about the results you got carrying them out. If you are NOT familiar with STAR: Situation, Task, Action & Result START NOW and look it up and you can thank me later.

Resumes should ALWAYS be customized for each position sought. A generic resume is your worst resume. It’s like painting a picture of you using a paint sprayer, not a brush. You will have several.

KEY: Make a Master Resume of ALL of your work history. Dates, addresses, URLs, salaries, bosses' names, telephone numbers, and results will help you to create custom resumes and online applications. It will save time since you already know the info.

KEY: Never carry a resume with you unless you are on your way to a Job Interview or a Job Fair. Remember what I said about business cards? Instead, give out business cards and follow up with a customized email resume.

05. BUSINESS CARDS

Avoid the trap of making your business card beautiful (unless you are a graphic designer).

• Modern business cards must be easily photographed because many people use tools on their smartphones to take notes and take pictures of QR codes. QR code that will instantly open your site on a smartphone — you increase the likelihood that people will enter your digital orbit. Once there, they can explore your products or services, connect with you on social media, book an appointment with you online, and more.
• Never buy them from a professional because you may need to change them at the last moment.

06. NETWORKING

Don’t be selfish – Be Selfless! See how many people you can help along the way!

Very few people know how to network correctly, and you need to learn before you go much further.

• Networking is about building relationships, NOT “Counting heads!” See how many people you can help – along the way some will help you back. The secret to happiness is helping others.
• YOUR CONTACT LIST – This should have every human being whom you know on Earth. ALL of them. Make a plan to contact them all every 90 days. Start with individual emails, and follow up with phone calls & coffee. Build relationships. See how you can help them, even if they can’t help you now.

KEY: Your most valuable contacts are past co-workers. They can refer you to a hiring manager where they work today. You are most likely to be referred by someone who wasn’t very close to you at a previous job: who only interacted with you professionally.

KEY: NEVER ignore ANY contact! It will surprise who knows who. I know one person who landed a C-level position by talking with a stranger at a kid’s soccer game. ?I’ve known two people who landed jobs while standing in line waiting to pick up a prescription at the same pharmacy. So, ALWAYS have some cards on you so you can give them out at a moment’s notice. You never know who you’ll meet.

END of Part 1 of 2 and I will see you tomorrow BYE for now