How To Get The Job You Want Faster

Here’s how to get the job you want faster:

Become highly organized before you start and stay that way throughout your job search.

Constantly polish your skills.

Visualize your goals.

Positively affirm attaining them.

Believe in yourself.

Surround yourself with positive people.

Tell everyone around you who you are and what you love doing, and how exceptionally well you do what you love. 

Let them know you’re looking.

Never hesitate to make your job search public (unless already employed).

Contact former colleagues and others in your networks and ask for information or introductions that might help move your job search along.

Network! Network! Network! (And do so extensively both online and offline!).

Focus your job search upon jobs that you’re truly qualified for.

Create a target list of places you’d like to work for and do your best to get noticed by them. Develop a list of jobs you would like to apply for. 

Find great job listings.

Never stop applying for jobs while you are waiting to hear back from any employer.

Write truly professional and highly customized resumes and cover letters.

Dress like a successful executive in your profession.

Be your authentic self.

Use storytelling during your job interview to share your experience, expertise and skills.

Never say anything bad about any previous employers.

Feature any charitable work or major projects you did on your resume.

Nonprofit work makes you more desirable to prospective employers.

Take a break every now and then to recharge your job search batteries.

Dress for the job you want.

Turn your negatives into positives.

Focus on your accomplishments.

Be very self-confident.

Be highly engaged.

Always send a thank-you note promptly after any job interview.

Always follow-up after any job interview.

Choose the right references but do not present them until requested to do so.

Be sure you look your best from head to toe!

Get job references lined up and ready.

Research each firm or organization before you go for its interview, dress appropriately, practice answering and asking interview questions, and make an effort to impress the interviewer with your skills, experience, and confidence.

Become highly informed about each organization, company, industry and position for which you are applying.

Establish yourself as a thought leader in your desired industry, network with professionals who may geographically be out of your reach, interact with companies that are hiring and establish your personal brand.

Have more than one inside contact at each targeted employer.

Always follow-up with interviewers to find out where they are in the process and if they need any more information from you.

Stay in touch with people you interviewed with to show your interest.

Be sure your profile is robust, with sections completely filled in, key words used and even embedded media and files.

Grow your networks.

Use LinkedIn’s advanced search functionality to locate inside connections, fellow alumni and even previous colleagues.

Also use advanced search options on all job boards.

Find a job fair.

Build up your resume.

Put results at the top of your resume.

Discover as much as you can about each company and its open positions prior to any job interview.

Prepare thoroughly for each job interview.

Expand your circles.

Secure a stopgap job.

Never lose faith in the face of rejection, but learn from each rejection and adjust your searching accordingly.

Be specific.

Don’t settle.

Never just quit.

Always customize the cover letter and the resume for each position you apply for.

Give a brief summary of your qualifications and accomplishments and achievements in quantifiable terms and tell how you plan to help the company thrive.

Illustrate what sets you apart from other applicants.

Keep everything simple.

Be sure to feature any consulting or nonprofit work you did during any employment gaps.

Dress for the part you want.

Share compelling success stories that gave examples of situations that really made your skills stand out.

Illustrate the ways that your skills helped benefit your last employer.

During the interview, be sure to compellingly back up your skills and experience.

You should never ever talk down a past employer.

It’s vital to follow up a day after the interview with a thank you letter and thank you email stating how much it was a pleasure to speak with them and that you really appreciate and are enthused about this opportunity.

Restate why you want to work for them, and be sure to provide them any further contact information, so they can readily reach you with any further questions.

Demonstrate that you are genuinely and sincerely interested in the position.

Always remain open to communicating and networking with others in your field at industry events, over emails, or even over social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

Constantly strive to connect with others and to make your presence very well-known.

Before applying to any position, create a list of 3-5 references and reach out to those persons in advance to make sure they are comfortable with and favorable towards you listing them.

Give them a heads up that you are applying to certain prospective employers that may contact them.

These should always be people who you trust who know you well that can speak to your work experience and skills.

Be certain they are a great source of information.

Choose persons that are highly familiar with your work ethic and accomplishments that can provide an unbiased, honest opinion.

Turn any of your negatives into positives.

Focus upon your achievements and accomplishments.

Stand out from all the other candidates somehow.

Consider showcasing a work portfolio, or sending in a presentation that acts along with your cover letter.

Be self-assured and courageous.

Answering all questions with confident, straightforward responses.

Have a great handshake.

Have great posture.

Be a highly-engaged and caring active listener with great eye contact that nods to show they are listening.

Do your homework by browsing the organization’s website, reading its reviews, scrolling through its social pages, learning its history and the vision, mission and values it was built upon.

Use the advanced search options on all major job boards.

Never stop applying for jobs while you are waiting to hear back from any employers.

Be your authentic self at the interview.

Always polish your shoes prior to any interview.

Be sure to look your best literally from head to toe!

Pay attention to all details.

Add more career highlights to your LinkedIn profile.

Buy or borrow from a library some more career books you can read.

Find someone new you can help---or that can help you---with a lead, referral, or recommendation.

P.S. Anything else that YOU would add?

The author, Dr. John B. Charnay, CEO of Charnay and Associates in Greater Los Angeles, is a leading job search coach. He has helped hundreds get the jobs of their dreams! He is also a top LinkedIn strategist and advisor. He has extensive experience teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels at leading universities throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, including USC, UCLA, CSUN, FIDM, Woodbury and Pepperdine. Additionally, he is a top fundraising advisor and an award-winning public relations professional. To meet him and ask for his support, invite him to be LinkedIn (email in profile) and contact him today!