How To REALLY Look For A Job
Are you looking for a job -- really looking? Or are you simply waiting for employment to fall into your lap? If you're like about 75% of the job seekers I've met over the past nine years, you're probably doing too much waiting and not enough searching. Stop. Now. Instead, here are two ways to be more proactive -- and much more effective -- in your job search. 1) Stop waiting for job leads to appear. Start making your own. Here's a real estate analogy that directly relates to your job search. (Trust me.) Where would you rather buy a 3-bedroom house, in Japan or the United States? Considering the price would be about $2 million in Japan vs. about $200,000 in the US, you'd likely opt for an American home. And why is Japanese real estate so pricey? Mainly because only about 15% of Japan is habitable. The remaining 85% of land there is too mountainous to build on. So prices are driven into the stratosphere by the intense competition for prime real estate. Well, the traditional employment market is just like Japanese real estate. Advertised job openings -- those listed on the Internet or in newspaper classifieds -- are only about 15% of the market. Yet, this is where about 80-90% of job seekers spend most of their time looking ? so the competition is fierce. And, like Japanese real estate, you are far less likely to find what you want. It's far better to spend most of your time looking for jobs that are not advertised, since you'll have less competition. And how can you find unadvertised job leads? The two best ways I know are: a) Calling employers to ask for an interview (explained in a prior article of mine, here - http://www.gresumes.com/marky-stein-clients.htm) b) Networking more effectively Since so many people get networking so wrong, I'll tackle that one next ... 2) Stop waiting for people to hand you job leads. Start networking right. Here's a recent email from an unhappy job seeker with a common -- and completely wrong -- negative attitude about networking: ---
Past experience has shown that most people will only help you when it directly benefits them, such as when there is an incentive hiring plan. For many years, I have tried to keep in touch with numerous people I knew very well. Most refuse to even answer. No returned emails, calls, etc. If people won't even answer, they certainly will not help you. I would speculate that 98% of the time when I contact past acquaintances, I get the cold shoulder. Jim, Pennsylvania
--- Like most job hunters who network unsuccessfully, Jim is asking the wrong questions. And getting the wrong answers. And not getting hired. Instead of, "Why won't anyone return my calls or give me job leads?" Jim (and you) should ask, "How could I give people a reason to contact me with job leads?" This simple change in mindset will make all the difference. Try it and see. Here are more questions to ask yourself if your networking is not panning out. * How can I make networking a two-way street, and do something that benefits the people I want job leads from? * What news/tips/advice/suggestions could I give to people in my network FIRST, which would ethically obligate them to help me in return? * Who else could I be networking with? * How many new people have I met this week who could give me job leads AFTER I help them out in some way? I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Networking is like skiing. If you give up and say, "It didn't work for me," it's because you weren't doing it right. Period. Here's hoping these two ways to uncover job leads and network better will help you get hired fast. Now, go out and make your own luck! Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others. As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com
Related News
New committee working on five-year plan to improve job prospects - Kawartha Media Group
Arbitrability of USERRA Claims: Battle on the Home Front - Law.com (subscription)
Green Jobs Transition Must Accelerate - Policy Innovations
Green Jobs Transition Must AcceleratePolicy Innovations, NY -7 hours agoThe report forecasts that millions of cleaner careers could be generated by 2030, with as many as 20 million new jobs in the energy alternatives sector ... |
City Expands Job Training For Public Housing Residents - NY1
Springboards for life in careers elsewhere - Financial Times
Springboards for life in careers elsewhereFinancial Times, UK -4 hours agoAlthough the small state offers only restricted employment choices for graduates the average expected wage in the oil-rich country is the second highest in ... |
Apprentices start building a career - Bradford Telegraph Argus
Apprentices start building a careerBradford Telegraph Argus, UK -9 hours agoMohammed, 18, and Shaun, 19, were both recruited by Lovell from Accent Community Partnerships, which delivers construction-based training and employment... |
Health Care Marketing Industry Day to offer employment opportunities - Hattiesburg American
The Grades recruitment event: White men in braces need not apply... - Independent
Shifting Careers In Hard Times, Lawyers Advise Cautious Steps - New York Times
Bye-bye to career employment for Baby Boomer men - Examiner.com
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Steps to Standing Out Above the Crowd at Work
Do you feel like one in a million at work ? and not in a good way? When you run into your boss in the hallway, do you get the impression she isn't sure who you are? Are the juicy projects always going to someone else?
Waiting For the Official Job Offer
At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, "Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR." Helene breathed a sigh of relief because her job search of six months was finally over.
Evaluating Job Offers -- Eleven Warning Signs You Must Watch Out For
Moving into a new job always involves some degree of uncertainty. You should do your best to find out all you can about a prospective employer, starting right from the pre-interview stage.
A Cover Letter Tip Guaranteed To Land You More Job Interviews!
Looking for a new job?
10 Major Signs of Job Dissatisfaction
The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race is just that, scurrying around only to find that at the end of the day or week you are still not happy about who you are and what you do. For many people they think exercise, changing their eating habits, or learning a new sport or language will make a difference in their emotional and physical well being. Fortunately for some that's all it takes, but for others a complete job makeover is the only way.
Prepare for Your Performance Review Before You Start the Job
When you start a new job, you probably realize the first three months are critical to your long-term success. Everybody's eye is on the "newbie" as you learn the ropes. "Does anybody want to go to lunch?" is the wrong thing to say in a run-during-lunch or never-leave-the-desk culture.
Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success
Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success
It Takes Time
The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven's performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, "I wish God had bestowed me with such genius." "It isn't genius, madam, nor is it magic." Beethoven replied. "All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for 40 years."
Three Ways to Transition to a New Career
As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People International in Greenville, South Carolina, I receive telephone calls from people who are considering a career change. For some, transitioning to a new career is easier than others. Some professionals already possess a foundation of skills to make the transition easier. I'll give an example. An unemployed network engineer and hobby electrician decides to become an electrical contractor for new construction. His transition might be easier because he needs minimal training to enter the new field. But others require training, or additional schooling, which can sometimes be costly.
Settling Successfully Into Your New Job
The euphoria of getting a new job can sometimes be overcome by apprehension about what comes next. After all, you're "the new kid on the block," and there's much to learn--about your new job duties and much more. But here are some things you can do to make the process go smoother.
Moving Without A Job: Should You Move to the Location of Your Dreams and THEN Look for a Job?
Moving without a job will challenge your identity -- but for some people, it's the best way to go.
Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers?
Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent of the internet, which has proven to offer great supporting facilities and convenience for online education. However, just like everything else with pros and cons, the internet has also opened doors for the widespread sale of bogus online degrees. According a report by USA Today, there were already 400 diploma mills in the year 2003 and the numbers are rising. In fact, many of these unscrupulous operations are run by organizations in an industry that is worth $500 million a year.
Dissatisfied With Work? Perhaps Its You
Just about every month, there's a new research report detailing the seemingly higher and higher degree of worker dissatisfaction. Whether it's a Gallup poll or a Conference Board report, the results are strikingly similar -- workers are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their work.
Employees, Get Used to Working under Surveillance
Let's face it. Monitoring employees' e-mail, tracking their Internet use, logging everything done at keyboards has become the norm in Corporate America.
Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment
The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history. Our grandparents usually found a skill, and then used that one skill to work for their whole career. An example is my grandfather who was a salesman for the same suit company for 44 years. There is nothing wrong with this. His job was secure; he knew there would be a superannuating fund when he retired, and that there would always be food on the table for his family. These days in the 21st century things have changed, and they are still changing rapidly as we speak.
Acceptance is the Answer to All Our Problems
Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service; many others suffer within jobs they can see no way out of. In order to survive a painful job loss ? indeed, any type of painful loss ? we must come to some acceptance. How does one find acceptance amidst the humiliation, shame, despair, fear, grief and uncertainty job loss can invoke?
Resumes and First impressions
Hunting for a position in a new career field? Trying to take your new education or skills and transform them into a job with a future?
Salary Negotiation Secrets Revealed
Before you go into the interview, it is important to know what salary you want, what you need to live on, and what you will be prepared to accept. Spend some time working out your budget. Remember to factor into your calculations the remuneration
you'll need in the future.
What is Contract Programming? An Alternative to the Conformity of Everyday Employment
What is contract programming, you ask? Well, when companies need specific computer programming expertise, for temporary periods of time, they generally hire a contract programmer or an employee of a consulting firm. Contractors almost always have a higher hourly wage than a salaried employee and are often paid for overtime. Contracts can last from one to three months to many years, depending on the situation. A contract programmer generally does one thing: program (code) for the duration of the contract. So, contract programming is just an area of computer consulting. Other areas of computer consulting include custom developers, network consultants and information technology (IT) consultants. The contract programmer can work via two forms of contracts: 1) "W-2 " contracts and 2) "1099" contracts.
I Just Lost My Job: How Am I Going To Tell My Kids?
One of the responsibilities of a human resources professional is to let employees know that their job has been eliminated. It is seldom easy to do and often painful for the person who is hearing the news.
|
