Insanity or Job Search Deficiency?

Are you using the same job search techniques and strategies over and over again,? The same strategies that have failed to land the job you want and yet you still expect to miraculously wake up one morning with a job?

Well knock it off!

While the majority of economists are predicting a gradual pick up in hiring this year, the competition will still remain tight for each new opening.

As I have evangelized year after year, you must differentiate yourself from all the other job seekers. You must do this by utilizing modern techniques of sales and marketing.

“At its simplest level, it [differentiation] could be a service we can deliver that no one else can. Or perhaps we specialize in working with a particular sector so we have more experience and knowledge in that field” states Paul McCord, a best-selling author on sales and marketing.


The folks at businessknowledgesource.com tell us: All that really matters with product differentiation is the differences that are perceived by your consumers. Here are the primary areas of product differentiation:

• differences in quality
• differences in design
• differences in features
• differences in price
• consumer understanding of the products and services they are buying
• marketing and promotion, especially advertising
• differences in location and availability of services and products

And it should go without saying your consumers are the hiring managers you are interviewing with or the people screening your resume and cover letter against the multitude they review for each opening.

Change is never easy for anyone. But if you’ve been looking for a job for six to twelve months, or not getting interviews or job offers you want . . . You Must Change Things!

You start at the beginning or foundation of yourself.


Suffering from Resume-stink-itus?

One size fits all is only good for Tee Shirts. You must tailor your resume to each job you apply for. This is vital for today's job seeker because software and computers scan resumes for key words and phrases.

One powerful way to customize your resume is to incorporate the job description from the opening you’re seeking. When recruiters review resumes they quickly scan and look for key word phrases to quickly qualify candidates. If you add these targeted words into your resume it will increase your viability for database searches and recruiters.

Remember, someone is spending hours viewing yours and all other applicants resumes. You must be memorable and interesting quickly. Power one pagers, no grammatical errors, strong monetization of accomplishments as well as interesting facts beyond work and education experience.

Disorganized and Disoriented

If you’re not project oriented and well disciplined it’s easy to become overwhelmed and lost in the job search process. Many people I’ve counseled over the years not only forget how many resumes they have sent out, they have not idea where they were sent and companies they have contacted.

If you feel comfortable organizing with your computer, a couple of spreadsheets tracking your network contacts & follow-up and the second detailing all your job search activity such as ads you’ve answered, where/when resumes were sent, any responses with dates, phone interviews, in person interviews, contact names, phone numbers, etc. can easily be tracked and organized. Not comfortable with spreadsheets? Grab a three-ring binder, label some dividers, and away you go.

Visible or Transparent?

You must have an active online presence. If your names not online, you'll find promoting your brand (think yourself) in today's world. You can leverage your presence quickly today using the Internet and social networking sites.

We fuel ourselves with online media and information first. It’s very convenient to look up someone or something on the Internet opposed to looking anywhere else. On of the strongest ways to build your online presence is with a blog. A blog is a real time resume. One of the best ways to show people your expertise by writing about it, not to mention that search engines love blogs. They love how nicely they index with search engine crawlers, and they love how blogs have constant update.

Establishing your name with search engines through a blog or a personal website is the first key step to building your online personal brand and identity. Make sure you have a professional presence on the minimum of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These as well as other popular sites are targeted by recruiters and hiring managers alike seeking qualified, professionals to fill positions. In addition, a personal website, webfolio as well as a blog will quickly solidify you as an expert in your field. Keep your vacation photos, party shots and your kids birthday photos on a “personal” account and do not mix with your professional persona.


Are you a Networker or Netwrecker?

Simply tweeting your agenda or a favorite quote or maybe posting some stuff on Facebook does not comprise serious networking. Yes, becoming proficient and visible online is important in today's job search, but you must continue to put yourself out there and meet people face to face as well. Attend business or networking events, invite former colleagues or subordinates, to breakfast or lunch, who have now moved on to bigger and brighter roles. Most openings are filled before they get posted or advertised. The best way for you to tap into this “hidden job market” is through networking. Attend conferences, trade shows, community events, etc., make sure everyone you know and everyone you meet is aware that you’re seeking employment.

A great way to find the people you need to know is to use the Internet to research companies.

You can also follow employers you’ve targeted on blogs, Twitter and Facebook. Also, don’t forget to use the ”introduce me” feature of LinkIn.

Laser Focus

Today it’s about specialization. Companies are not looking for generalists today as in the past but the majority of job hunters are unaware ignore that fact. It’s logical that job hunters do not want to risk missing opportunities and try to position themselves as a generalist versus a specialist. But, if you really want to land that dream job, you have to know your specialty. You have to be fluent in your unique offering and personal brand. This specialty must be reflected in your cover letter, your resume, your elevator pitch and your interview answers.

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