Staying upbeat and beating the odds while the economy’s taking a beating

by Judith Smyer, CPRW & Master Job Coach

Employers are hiring, and you need only ONE job. How do you find it?

First, consider the critical career factors that point to your ideal job: your knowledge, skills, abilities, interests, values, preferences, job and culture likes and dislikes - combined with job market demand in the geographic locations that you’re targeting.

Next, ensure your unique value proposition and brand are clear in all of your job search marketing communications, verbal and written. Focus on how you will help the company make money and convey this information memorably, demonstrating your distinctive energy and style.

Then, be creative and thorough in deploying job search strategies. Don’t ignore any search method, but spend the most time on those that work the best. What are they?

The basics - excerpted and adapted from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20042.htm):

Personal/professional contacts - a.k.a. networking or community building
Published openings
Targeting and directly contacting employers
Online resources, e.g., job sites (SimplyHired, Monster), social/business networking sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), your own blog or website
Professional associations
State workforce services offices (find yours here: http://www.servicelocator.org/)
Services for special groups (veterans, people with disabilities, dislocated workers, youth)
Community agencies - nonprofit organizations, including religious institutions and vocational rehabilitation agencies
Private employment agencies and career consultants
Internships
School career planning and placement offices
Labor unions

Here are links to helpful information on search strategies:
Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang - includes a chart showing effectiveness of specific job search strategies for recent hires
Shy? What’s your best job search strategy? - from Money.CNN.com

A word of advice on responding to published openings, since this is a popular and effective search method: don’t drop the ball after you submit your resume. Follow up with the company to ensure your resume was received. Find out who the hiring manager is, prepare a brief presentation and call that person. Research the company, and network to make an inside connection.

Remember: you need ONE job, and it’s out there for you. Work “smart” by knowing what you want; having confidence in your value; being active, proactive, prepared and distinctive; being familiar with all available search methods and focusing on those that are known to generate the best results.