Richard Bolles, job search guru and author of What Color Is Your Parachute? predicts that he can expect to look for a job in 1 to 2 months for every $10,000 he expects to earn. So if you’re looking for a $40,000 a year position, you might look for 4-8 months to land it. Back when the economy was roaring, the length of a job search would have seemed outrageous, but now, many people would be happy to search for just 4-8 months.
Now the question is: How can you limit the duration of your job search regardless of what is happening with the local economy?
The answer to that question depends on the strength of your job search campaign. Take a look at these common job search problems. If your campaign suffers from any of these symptoms, try one or more of the suggested tips for each.
If you mail out resumes but don’t get interviews:
o Your campaign may not be intense enough. Remember that the job search is a full-time job. Increase your employer contacts by phone, fax, mail and email to 10-20 per week. Gather job opportunities from a wider variety of sources than you’ve been using, such as networks, newspaper ads, and Internet sites. But most important of all, tap into the hidden job market.
Bottom line: Getting interviews from resumes is partly a numbers game. Contact more employers to increase the odds in your favor.
o Your resume may reveal that you don’t have the skill set that employers want. Get them! A tight economy means employers can master whatever skills, credentials and experience they want, so why argue with them? Volunteer, take a class, or create a self-study program to learn what you need to learn. Or, take a lower-level position that will prepare you to advance to the job you really want.
Bottom line: It’s up to you to qualify for the job you want. Show your initiative and sign up for that class now, then be sure to claim your new skills on your resume.
o You may not contact the employers who are buying the skills you are selling. First, identify the three skills you possess that you most want to promote to employers. Second, combine those skills with three different types of jobs that commonly use your preferred skills. Next, link each of the positions you identify to specific local industries and employers that hire people with the skills you’re marketing. Then, create different versions of your resume for each of the types of positions you’re looking for. Make sure each version stands out and documents its ability to do what it says it can do.
Bottom line: Different employers need different things from their employees. Know what you have to sell and sell it to companies that want it. At all costs, avoid generalizing your resume with clichés and vague statements.
o Your resume may miscommunicate what you have to offer. If you have weaknesses in your employment timeline or are changing careers, you will need to be very careful in structuring the content of your resume to overcome any perceived deficiencies. Create a powerful career summary statement that emphasizes your main skills, qualities, credentials, experience, and goals. Group your most marketable skills in an achievement section and showcase them using numbers, concrete nouns, and clear indications of the results you achieved. Use company research and the employer’s job description to focus your revised resume on the company’s needs.
Bottom line: The person deciding whether or not to interview you will make that decision in just 15-25 seconds. Be clear, organized, and focused on achievements to use those seconds to convince the employer to interview you. If you are going to get interviews but not job offers:
o You may have the basic skills the employer needs, but not the advanced skills you prefer. Review the second bullet point above and act on the suggestions presented. Once you’ve updated or expanded your skills through additional education, experience, or self-study, begin building a career success portfolio to demonstrate your success to potential employers. This will also help you answer the behaviorally based interview questions that are all the rage these days.
Bottom line: It’s up to you to advance your career. Find out what you’re missing, then learn the skill or build the skill.
o You lack strong marketing skills and this shows in your interviews. To improve the quality of your interpersonal communications and interview responses, take a class. Invite someone to role play an interview with you. Practice answering behavior-based interview questions. Arrange to participate in a videotaped mock interview. To project your personality in a positive way: Select three to five about yourself that you want the employer to know about you at the end of your interview. Brainstorm how to weave those things into your answers to common interview questions. Learn about different personalities from yours. Smile and relax! Make strong but not excessive eye contact. Go into the interview armed with 5-8 words or phrases that positively describe your workplace personality and use those words or phrases throughout the interview. Match your communication style with the interviewer’s questioning style. Know your resume and defend it. Keep your answers short and always to the point.
Bottom line: Your interview performance serves as a preview of your performance on the job, so project your best. Research, practice and sell! Looking for work is wrong. The question is, are you learning from the job search mistakes you’ve made?
Evaluate your search every two to three months so you can adjust your campaign regularly. You probably tune up your car regularly. Why not do the same with your job search? With the right knowledge and the right tools, there will be no stopping you!
