Thursday, March 5, 2009

How to Fail and Make Yourself Miserable

If you don't want to get a new job, you don't want to have goals. Successful people have goals and commit them to paper. Write down what you want and where you want to go - if you don't, how will you know when you get there? When it comes to job hunting this means you must:
  • know your strengths
  • know your weaknesses
  • know how you can help a company make or save money (resources)
  • have a plan and
  • work you plan (that is why there is a calendar or planning blog in this series).

If you don't want a job, you will put off cold calling, networking, or you will continue to rewrite your cover letter and resume because it is 'not good enough'. We all know that job hunting is not the most fun thing we can do, but it can be if you re-frame it to be an adventure in meeting new people, learning about new companies and adding to your personal growth. Since many people do not like job hunting, they will procrastinate by making (invalid) excuses as to why they are not searching for a job.

If you don't want a job you will sit back and wait for the job to come to you. You may tell a few of your friends, send out a few resumes and cover letters for jobs found in the local newspaper and will have spent time surfing for websites (but in a haphazard way) that will post your resume, but all these are passive ways to look for a job. Successful job hunters get out there and hustle because they know job hunting is a participatory sport.

If you don't want a job, submit your cover letter, resume, application without researching the company or better yet, go to the interview unprepared. Successful job hunters take an interest in what other people and companies are doing. They learn about what is going on in various companies. They know their strengths and weaknesses and better yet, are working on improving their weak areas. Successful job hunters know about the companies they visit and let the interviewers know this. They go to interviews with additional resumes, pens (black and blue), they have business cards, they may have work samples or letters of reference. Successful people are clean and pressed - they come to an interview dressed to take on the day - they don't show up in clothes that are dirty, unpressed or ill fitting.

Common Job Hunting Myths

Even with today's economy and the shear number of layoffs, the following beliefs are just that, beliefs - they are not supported - they are myths we tend to believe.

  1. There are no jobs out there. In fact, there are jobs - you just need to know where and how to look. If you are relying on the classified ads and the Internet - you are right, there are no jobs out there FOR YOU! Relying on the classifieds and the Internet is a passive approach to job hunting and both have about a 1-7% success rate. A successful job hunter will network, cold call, research, and hustle - full time.
  2. If I work hard, get a good education and am loyal, I will have a good job. False! According to Levinson and Perry, in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, the best person does not usually get the job - the best person who interviewed the best and showed (s) he could contribute to the success of the organization, gets and keeps the job.
  3. You'll find a job by working with human resources. Nope - you will find a job seeking out and establishing a relationship with the DECISION MAKER. HR will gather the resumes, applications, etc and screen them (giving each about a 4-10 seconds glance) and pass on a few of the applicants' information to the decision maker.
  4. Most jobs are with big companies. Nope, most are with smaller companies - about 2/3 of the companies are smaller operations and in today's competitive marketplace, may actually provide more positives than one might think.
  5. Most employers won't talk to me if they don't have an opening. Most employers, actually the decision makers within a company or a chain of command to which you would report, are interested in finding people who have spunk or get up and go and will help them achieve their goals. Taking initiative to reach out and meet someone and ultimately help them means a great deal to most leaders.
  6. Most interviewers are well trained. Not true, especially if they do not have a skilled and knowledgeable HR manager or employment attorney.
  7. I haven’t ever worked for pay; I have nothing to put on my application and I certainly don’t have anything for a resume. False!!!! Volunteer work is work without pay. If you have volunteered, put it down. Parenting and running a household is work. Anything that involves work with or without pay has provided you with knowledge, skills and abilities that can be transferred to another work environment.
  8. There are good times and there are bad times to look for work. Anytime and all times are good times to look for work. Funding is here today and gone tomorrow. Never stop looking for work.
  9. Sending out 1000 resumes will surely get me a job. Now it will get you frustrated and spending unnecessary money. Learn how successful job hunters find jobs in the hidden marketplace. One good place is this blog. Another is to check out books that are listed in this blog.