I would rather go to the dentist than do a job search…
“I’ve submitted my resume to a 100 postings and not one call.”
“My resume is going into a black hole.”
“I’ve received quite a few phone calls, but I haven’t been invited in for any interviews yet.”
“I talked to the recruiter a couple of weeks ago, but she hasn’t called me back.”
“No one seems to be hiring right now. I’m not seeing any good jobs being advertised in my field.”
Sound familiar? Sure does to me… Jay & I frequently hear common frustrations like this from people who are doing what we call a “reactive” job search. There’s a great way to clear out these frustrations, and it can be described in one word… STRATEGY. Actually, to be specific, you should use a multi-pronged strategy that includes reactive AND proactive approaches. The best proactive strategy out there is the “Targeted Job Search Method.” Dan Miller talks about it in 48 Days to the Work You Love, Dick Bolles talks about it in What Color Is Your Parachute?, and Jay & I talk about it in The Job Search Boot Camp. (And if you happen to live in the Austin and Round Rock area, come see us talk about it at the Career Connections Job Club sponsored by the Workforce Solutions Center of Williamson County on Tues, Feb 16, at 9am.)
Okay, so I know what you’re going to say next. It’ll be something like, “Hey, I am being proactive. I called my buddy at XYZ Company. He told me they’re not hiring, and he seems to be avoiding me ‘cause now he won’t return my calls.”
So, let’s say you ARE doing some proactive stuff. Let’s say you HAVE been doing the prerequisite networking everyone has been touting as the answer to your job search woes. And still there are no offers on the horizon. Clearly it’s not enough to be proactive. The actual steps you take and the message you use are all very important pieces in how effective your strategy will be. It’s about executing a quality strategy. This is not the whole solution, of course, but a quality proactive strategy is a crucial factor in a successful job search.
Here are a couple of quick tips to improve the quality of your proactive search strategy:
- Don’t make the topic of every contact you make with friends, family and colleagues be only about job openings. Script out other possible conversations such as, “Do you know anyone at such and such company, and, if so, would you give me an introduction?”
- Figure out what you can give back to others, and that includes those in your closest network, as well as the recruiter you haven’t heard back from in two weeks. Send industry articles of interest. To the recruiter, you might follow up with a short analysis of your competencies in regard to the job description or ask her if she is working on any hard-to-fill positions that you might keep in mind so you can recommend people you are networking with to her.
One person told me recently that she would rather go to the dentist than do a job search. I understand if you feel the same way. The modern job search requires skills, attitudes and energy that you don’t normally need to use… and maybe have never had to use in previous job searches.
But let me put this in perspective. Time for a reality check. When you land your next job, there are no guarantees. Chances are that you’ll need these very skills and techniques again in a few years. That’s just the way it is nowadays. To cite one my favorite career experts, Dr. Helen Harkness, our new work model is Y-O-Y-O, which stands for “You’re On Your Own.” You can choose to see this as a dreadful situation – wringing your hands over it and getting frustrated – or you can see this as a very empowering moment in your career path in which you get to take charge. YOU get to choose what comes next for you.
Be Empowered or Be Frustrated. The choice is up to you.
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Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and career coach. Along with partner, Jay Markunas, she helps people gain clarity and develop successful strategies for career transition. Among the many topics covered in their upcoming webcast series, The Job Search Boot Camp, they teach job seekers about the #1 most effective strategy, the “Targeted Job Search Method.” See a 4-minute Job Search Boot Camp Preview. Listen to them on The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more about their services at www.greatoccupations.com.
