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Anytime you start looking
for employment, you can do it one of two ways. The
first way means that you start doing something right
away. You start pounding out the resumes, making
phone calls, telling everyone that you know that you are
looking, and lots of other good ideas. While
that's is a big improvement over doing nothing and it does
work, there is a first step... or series of steps that can
significantly improve your chances in finding employment
and being more satisfied with what you've found. So
unless you just like the shotgun shoot 'em up approach,
consider walking yourself through this Job Action Plan:
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Here's How:
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| 1. |
Look at your career options by doing a
self-assessment - There is no need to do exactly what you've always done for
a living. Consider what other companies and types of jobs would be
applicable to the talents that you have developed. How can you
leverage those into a new job?
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| 2. |
Create a resume and cover letter - It's not
as easy as it might sound and you should certainly show it to others for
their input. Others see you from a different perspective and they can
give their gut reactions to what you have written. Many people find
that they have over-emphasized something and under-emphasized something
else.
While noting your accomplishments and capabilities, be sure to
also talk about subjective things like your negotiating, people management,
and organizational skill. Don't leave these to the imagination.
These keywords may stand out in a keyword search and get you the interview.
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| 3. |
Obtain/compile personal and professional
reference letters - After you have been working for several years, you
should have a respectable number of letters from former colleagues and
supervisors that attest to your personal and professional credentials.
People move on and can be hard to find. If you don't have these handy,
start digging through your contacts and start asking.
You may also be
surprised in doing these contacts that refreshing old relationships may be
the networking that you need to do. Instead of asking if they know of
a job, ask them for a letter of recommendation. Doing so lets them
know that you are available and looking and if they know of something and
feel comfortable, you will likely get both the referral and
recommendation.
Offer to exchange letters of recommendation. Almost everyone
could use one more letter and one that is more recent. This way, you
are not merely asking for a favor but offering one as well. |
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| 4. |
Practice interviewing - No matter how many
times you have been through this in the past, interview skills are hard to
come by and just as hard to hold onto. Practice your posture, decide
where your hands go, rehearse your resume, and verbally spit out the answers
to those questions that you hate like, "Why do you want to work
here?"
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| 5. |
Decide ahead of time which interview clothes
you want to wear and make sure that they have been cleaned and
pressed. You could get an interview on a moment's notice and a missing
button does not need to complicate things for you.
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| 6. |
Research potential employers - Find out what
they do and how much they do of it. Determine who their market is,
what they want to accomplish, and how you fit into that position. In
addition to being able to answer the "Why do you want to work
here?" questions, the interviewer will know that you have an interest
in the company and won't have to explain the insignificant details to
you. It can also give you a heads up on the next person to walk in the
door.
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| 7. |
Search the online jobs boards like
Senior
JobSearch - Not just for jobs, but for the kinds and numbers of people that
each employer is looking for. This can tell you a lot about an
employer. For instance, a company of 100 employees that has 10 new
sales jobs open is either expanding quickly or has just fired their whole
team. If they are hiring everyone, they are either expanding or have
severe labor issues.
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| 8. |
Search career specific job boards - If this
is the only area that you are looking, some industry or job specific boards
may offer some alternatives. Remember, most jobs will only be found on
one board. Look everywhere.
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| 9. |
Can you move? If so, consider looking
at other areas besides where you live now. If you've always wanted to
move to Denver, this may be your time.
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| 10. |
Do thank you emails or letters - Check out
the business card that the interviewer gave you. In many cases, there
will be an email address. Writing a thank you email not only lets the
interviewer know that their time is appreciated, it puts you in front of
their face one more time.
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